different between juvenile vs weak

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin iuven?lis (“youthful; juvenile”), from iuvenis (“young; a youth”) + -?lis (“suffix forming adjectives indicating a relationship or a pertaining to”). Iuvenis is ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *h?yuh?en- (“young”), from *h?óyu (“long life; lifetime”) (from *h?ey- (“age; life”)) + *h?én (“in”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?d?u?v?na?l/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?d?u?v?na?l/, /?d?u?v?n?l/
• Hyphenation: ju?ven?ile

Adjective

juvenile (comparative more juvenile, superlative most juvenile)

1. Young; not fully developed.
2. Characteristic of youth or immaturity; childish.

   Synonyms: (colloquial) juvey, milky, puerile; see also Thesaurus:childish

Antonyms

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Noun

juvenile (plural juveniles)

1. A prepubescent child.
2. A person younger than the age of majority; a minor.

   Synonyms: (dated) infant, (colloquial) juvie
3. (criminal law) A person younger than the age of full criminal responsibility, such that the person either cannot be held criminally liable or is subject to less severe forms of punishment.
4. (literature) A publication for young adult readers.
5. (theater) An actor playing a child's role.
6. (zoology) A sexually immature animal.
7. A two-year-old racehorse.
   • 1972, Edward Samuel Montgomery, The Thoroughbred (page 449)

     Even more incredible is the legion of two-year-olds who win handsomely as juveniles and then disappear from the racetrack.

   • 2005, Ken McLean, Designing Speed in the Racehorse (page 206)

     Professional trainers foster young horses with obvious potential. Instance the way Sir Michael Stoute uses patience to bring along his two-year-old colts and fillies at Newmarket, or the careful approach taken with juveniles by that wonderful conditioner Charlie Whittingham in California.

   • 2012, Encyclopedia of British Horse Racing (page 6)

     Thereafter, males aged two to four are colts, females are fillies, racing two-year-olds are sometimes referred to as juveniles, and animals still running at five, the age of thoroughbred maturity, or older, are horses or mares according to gender.

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• juvenile (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Latin

Adjective

juven?le

1. nominative neuter singular of juven?lis
2. accusative neuter singular of juven?lis
3. vocative neuter singular of juven?lis

English

Etymology

From Middle English weyk, wayk, weik, waik, from Old Norse veikr (“weak”), from Proto-Germanic *waikwaz (“weak, yielded, pliant, bendsome”), from Proto-Indo-European *weyk- (“to bend, wind”). Cognate with Old English w?c (“weak, bendsome”), Saterland Frisian wook (“soft, gentle, tender”), West Frisian weak (“soft”), Dutch week (“soft, weak”), German weich (“weak, soft”), Norwegian veik (“weak”), Swedish vek (“weak, pliant”), Icelandic veikur (“bendsome, weak”). Related to Old English w?can (“to yield”). Doublet of week and wick. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• enPR: w?k, IPA^(key): /wi?k/
• Rhymes: -i?k
• Homophone: week

Adjective

weak (comparative weaker, superlative weakest)

1. Lacking in force (usually strength) or ability.
   • weak with hunger, mad with love

2. Unable to sustain a great weight, pressure, or strain.

3. Unable to withstand temptation, urgency, persuasion, etc.; easily impressed, moved, or overcome; accessible; vulnerable.
   • 1703, Nicholas Rowe, The Fair Penitent Act I, scene I:

     Guard thy heart / On this weak side, where most our nature fails.

4. Dilute, lacking in taste or potency.

5. (grammar) Displaying a particular kind of inflection, including:
   1. (Germanic languages, of verbs) Regular in inflection, lacking vowel changes and having a past tense with -d- or -t-.
   2. (Germanic languages, of nouns) Showing less distinct grammatical endings.
   3. (Germanic languages, of adjectives) Definite in meaning, often used with a definite article or similar word.
6. (chemistry) That does not ionize completely into anions and cations in a solution.

7. (physics) One of the four fundamental forces associated with nuclear decay.
8. (slang) Bad or uncool.

9. (mathematics, logic) Having a narrow range of logical consequences; narrowly applicable. (Often contrasted with a strong statement which implies it.)
10. Resulting from, or indicating, lack of judgment, discernment, or firmness; unwise; hence, foolish.
11. Not having power to convince; not supported by force of reason or truth; unsustained.
12. Lacking in vigour or expression.

13. Not prevalent or effective, or not felt to be prevalent; not potent; feeble.
14. (stock exchange) Tending towards lower prices.

15. (photography) Lacking contrast.

Synonyms

• (lacking in force or ability): feeble, frail, powerless, vincible, assailable, vulnerable
• (lacking in taste or potency): dilute, watery
• See also Thesaurus:weak

Antonyms

• (lacking in force or ability): healthy, powerful, robust, strong, invincible
• (lacking in taste or potency): potent, robust, strong
• (chemistry: that does not ionize completely): strong

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• Wake, wake, weka

West Frisian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /v???k/

Adjective

weak

1. (Clay) soft

Inflection

Alternative forms

• wêk (Wood)

Further reading

• “weak (I)”, in Wurdboek fan de Fryske taal (in Dutch), 2011