Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

9 ADJ If you describe something such a country's currency, economy, industry, or government as weak , you mean that it is not successful, and may be likely to fail or collapse. □  The weak dollar made American goods relative bargains for foreigners. ●  weak|ness N‑UNCOUNT [usu with poss] □ [+ of ] The weakness of his regime is showing more and more.

10 ADJ If something such as an argument or case is weak , it is not convincing or there is little evidence to support it. □  Do you think the prosecution made any particular errors, or did they just have a weak case? ●  weak|ly ADV □  His efforts to refute these 'stereotypes' are weakly argued. ●  weak|ness (weaknesses ) N‑VAR □  …the strengths and weaknesses of the government's case.

11 ADJ A weak drink, chemical, or drug contains very little of a particular substance, for example because a lot of water has been added to it. □  …a cup of weak tea. □  …a very weak bleach solution.

12 ADJ Your weak points are the qualities or talents you do not possess, or the things you are not very good at. □  Geography was my weak subject. □ [+ on ] His short stories tend to be weak on plot. ●  weak|ness N‑VAR □  His only weakness is his temperament.

13 → see also weakness

weak|en ◆◇◇ /wiː kən/ (weakens , weakening , weakened )

1 VERB If you weaken something or if it weakens , it becomes less strong or less powerful. □ [V n] The recession has weakened so many firms that many can no longer survive. □ [V ] Family structures are weakening and breaking up.

2 VERB If your resolve weakens or if something weakens it, you become less determined or less certain about taking a particular course of action that you had previously decided to take. □ [V ] Jennie weakened, and finally relented. □ [V n] The verdict hasn't weakened his resolve to fight the charges against him.

3 VERB If something weakens you, it causes you to lose some of your physical strength. □ [V n] Malnutrition obviously weakens the patient.

4 VERB If something weakens an object, it does something to it which causes it to become less firm and more likely to break. □ [V n] A bomb blast had weakened an area of brick on the back wall.

wea k-knee d ADJ If you describe someone as weak-kneed , you mean that they are unable or unwilling to do anything because they are influenced by a strong emotion such as fear. [INFORMAL ] □  He would need all his authority to keep the weak-kneed volunteers from bolting.

weak|ling /wiː kl I ŋ/ (weaklings ) N‑COUNT If you describe a person or an animal as a weakling , you mean that they are physically weak. [DISAPPROVAL ]

weak|ness /wiː knəs/ (weaknesses )

1 N‑COUNT [usu sing] If you have a weakness for something, you like it very much, although this is perhaps surprising or undesirable. □ [+ for ] Stephen himself had a weakness for cats. □  His one weakness, apart from aeroplanes, is ice cream.

2 → see also weak

weal /wiː l/ (weals ) N‑COUNT A weal is a swelling made on someone's skin by a blow, especially from something sharp or thin such as a sword or whip. [BRIT ] in AM, use welt

wealth ◆◇◇ /we lθ/

1 N‑UNCOUNT Wealth is the possession of a large amount of money, property, or other valuable things. You can also refer to a particular person's money or property as their wealth . □  Economic reform has brought relative wealth to peasant farmers.

2 N‑SING If you say that someone or something has a wealth of good qualities or things, you are emphasizing that they have a very large number or amount of them. [FORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ [+ of ] …such a wealth of creative expertise.