weak-kneed.

1. Lacking courage or firmness of purpose when action or resistance is needed.

2. Having knees that feel weak or unsteady, often after exertion, shock, or strong emotion.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• weak-kneed response
• weak-kneed leadership
• weak-kneed compromise

On the page

The editorial condemned the council’s weak-kneed response.

She refused to accept a weak-kneed compromise that protected no one.

His critics mistook caution for weak-kneed indecision.

Usage notes

Primary category: fear. Forms: Comparative more weak-kneed; superlative most weak-kneed. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.