First published 1895; not yet revised More entries for "feeble"
feebleadjective & noun
Factsheet
What does the word feeble mean?
There are 18 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word feeble, eight of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.
feeble has developed meanings and uses in subjects including
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the word feeble?
About 4occurrences per million words in modern written English
| 1750 | 11 |
| 1760 | 13 |
| 1770 | 20 |
| 1780 | 24 |
| 1790 | 27 |
| 1800 | 26 |
| 1810 | 26 |
| 1820 | 26 |
| 1830 | 28 |
| 1840 | 29 |
| 1850 | 31 |
| 1860 | 31 |
| 1870 | 30 |
| 1880 | 27 |
| 1890 | 24 |
| 1900 | 22 |
| 1910 | 19 |
| 1920 | 17 |
| 1930 | 13 |
| 1940 | 10 |
| 1950 | 8.3 |
| 1960 | 6.6 |
| 1970 | 5.1 |
| 1980 | 3.9 |
| 1990 | 3.6 |
| 2000 | 3.7 |
| 2010 | 4.0 |
How is the word feeble pronounced?
British English
/ˈfiːbl/
FEE-buhl
U.S. English
/ˈfib(ə)l/
FEE-buhl
Where does the word feeble come from?
Earliest known use
Middle English
The earliest known use of the word feeble is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).
OED's earliest evidence for feeble is from around 1175, in Lambeth Homilies.
feeble is a borrowing from French.
Etymons: French feble.
Nearby entries
- fed up, adj.1900–
- fed-'upness, n.1910–
- fee, n.¹Old English–1677
- fee, n.²c1330–
- fee, n.³c1450–1500
- fee, v.¹1483–
- fee, v.²1883–
- feeable, adj.1461–1847
- feeb, n.1914–
- feebility, n.1413–50
- feeble, adj. & n.c1175–
- feeble, v.?c1225–
- feebleness, n.1340–
- feebler, n.1586
- feebless, n.1297–
- feebling, n.1887–
- feeblish, adj.1674–
- feeblish, v.1477–1528
- feeblishing, n.1574–1634
- feeblishment, n.1548
- feeblose, adj.1882–
Etymology
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Meaning & use
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Pronunciation
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Forms
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Frequency
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Compounds & derived words
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Entry history for feeble, adj. & n.
feeble, adj. & n. was first published in 1895; not yet revised.
feeble, adj. & n. was last modified in December 2023.
Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:
- corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
- new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.
Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into feeble, adj. & n. in December 2023.
Earlier versions of this entry were published in:
OED First Edition (1895)
OED Second Edition (1989)
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Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “,” , .
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Citation details
Factsheet for feeble, adj. & n.
Browse entry
Nearby entries
- fed up, adj.1900–
- fed-'upness, n.1910–
- fee, n.¹Old English–1677
- fee, n.²c1330–
- fee, n.³c1450–1500
- fee, v.¹1483–
- fee, v.²1883–
- feeable, adj.1461–1847
- feeb, n.1914–
- feebility, n.1413–50
- feeble, adj. & n.c1175–
- feeble, v.?c1225–
- feebleness, n.1340–
- feebler, n.1586
- feebless, n.1297–
- feebling, n.1887–
- feeblish, adj.1674–
- feeblish, v.1477–1528
- feeblishing, n.1574–1634
- feeblishment, n.1548
- feeblose, adj.1882–
