- débil
- adj.1 weak, dim, faint, feeble.Toda esa situación pinta mal This whole situation looks bad.2 atonic.* * *débil► adjetivo1 (persona) weak, feeble■ está aún muy débil para caminar he's still too weak to walk2 (ruido) faint; (luz) dim, feeble3 LINGÚÍSTICA weak► nombre masulino o femenino1 weak person► nombre masculino plural los débiles1 the weak\FRASEOLOGÍAdébil mental mentally retarded person, mentally deficient person* * *adj.1) weak2) faint3) feeble* * *1. ADJ1) [persona] [gen] weak; [extremadamente] feeble; [por mala salud o avanzada edad] frail
se encuentra un poco débil de salud — his health is rather frail, he is in rather poor health
2) [carácter] weak; [esfuerzo] feeble, half-hearted3) (=poco intenso) [voz, ruido] faint; [luz] dim2.SMFeconómicamentees un débil mental — he's a bit mentally deficient
* * *adjetivoa) <persona> (físicamente) weak; (falto de - firmeza) soft; (- voluntad) weak; <economía/ejército/gobierno> weakes de complexión débil — she has a weak constitution
es débil de carácter — he has a weak character
b) <sonido/voz> faint; <moneda> weak; <argumento> weak; <excusa> feeble, lame; <luz> dim, faintc) <sílaba/vocal> unstressed, weak* * *= powerless, flimsy [flimsier -comp., flimsiest -sup.], shaky [shakier -comp., shakiest -sup.], weak [weaker -comp., weakest -sup.], fragile, spineless, feeble, effete, faint, frail, feckless, thin [thinner -comp., thinnest -sup.], weakling, runt, nesh, weedy [weedier -comp., weediest -sup.], boneless.Ex. In a world divided by ideology, by trade barriers, by military threats and nuclear fears, we librarians are not powerless.Ex. Many paperbacks actually stand up to this usage better than the flimsy hardback covers now being produced.Ex. The subdivision 'Discovery and Exploration' under geographic names reinforces the popularly held notion that the world outside Western Europe had no history -- and only a shaky hold on existence -- before it was 'discovered' by Western Europeans.Ex. Problems arise from weak or outmoded structuring of subjects in the schedules of DC.Ex. The material which carries the message is fragile.Ex. To call a supervisor 'spineless' is to tag him as weak and therefore unfair to his really good employees.Ex. Mearns warns us, 'Recollection is treacherous; it is usually too broad or too narrow for another's use; and what is more serious, it is frequently undependable and worn and feeble'.Ex. Some teachers argue against book clubs, claiming that they bring together only a certain kind of avid reader, the literary equivalent of the religiously effete and over-pious.Ex. As more and more copies are produced, so the amount of dye on the master is reduced layer by layer until the image on the copy paper becomes quite faint.Ex. Previous research has demonstrated that frail elderly living in subsidized high-rise apartments have greater unmet needs than elderly who reside in traditional community housing.Ex. The author wrings sick humor from its feckless heroes' forlorn attempts to escape from a drug habit that they do not really enjoy any longer.Ex. Although it may be a bit thin in its use of standard academic sources of information, it is exceedingly strong on insider information and personal interviews.Ex. According to Safire, when a slice a cake was put before him Putin said 'Sweets are for weaklings and children'.Ex. Under the same regimens of treatment the number of runts produced varied from none to as much as 80 per cent of the litter.Ex. Usually, half of us would sleep on the ground outside and the other half would go for the nesh option of sleeping in a tent or hut.Ex. Shock as boofy blokes beat weedy intellectual in popularity contest.Ex. By running away he shows who he is -- a boneless coward who never engaged in direct confrontation with the enemy.----* alto y débil = spindly [spindlier -comp., spindliest -sup.].* débil de salud = poor health.* débiles, los = little guy, the.* en el momento más débil de Alguien = at + Posesivo + weakest.* eslabón débil = weak link.* hacerse el débil = sandbagging.* luz débil = glimmer.* más débil de la camada, el = runt of the litter, the.* más débil del grupo, el = runt of the litter, the.* punto débil = blind spot, weak link.* punto débil, el = chink in the armour, the.* ser el contrincante más débil = punch above + Posesivo + weight.* ser el punto más débil de Alguien = be at + Posesivo + weakest.* * *adjetivoa) <persona> (físicamente) weak; (falto de - firmeza) soft; (- voluntad) weak; <economía/ejército/gobierno> weakes de complexión débil — she has a weak constitution
es débil de carácter — he has a weak character
b) <sonido/voz> faint; <moneda> weak; <argumento> weak; <excusa> feeble, lame; <luz> dim, faintc) <sílaba/vocal> unstressed, weak* * *= powerless, flimsy [flimsier -comp., flimsiest -sup.], shaky [shakier -comp., shakiest -sup.], weak [weaker -comp., weakest -sup.], fragile, spineless, feeble, effete, faint, frail, feckless, thin [thinner -comp., thinnest -sup.], weakling, runt, nesh, weedy [weedier -comp., weediest -sup.], boneless.Ex: In a world divided by ideology, by trade barriers, by military threats and nuclear fears, we librarians are not powerless.
Ex: Many paperbacks actually stand up to this usage better than the flimsy hardback covers now being produced.Ex: The subdivision 'Discovery and Exploration' under geographic names reinforces the popularly held notion that the world outside Western Europe had no history -- and only a shaky hold on existence -- before it was 'discovered' by Western Europeans.Ex: Problems arise from weak or outmoded structuring of subjects in the schedules of DC.Ex: The material which carries the message is fragile.Ex: To call a supervisor 'spineless' is to tag him as weak and therefore unfair to his really good employees.Ex: Mearns warns us, 'Recollection is treacherous; it is usually too broad or too narrow for another's use; and what is more serious, it is frequently undependable and worn and feeble'.Ex: Some teachers argue against book clubs, claiming that they bring together only a certain kind of avid reader, the literary equivalent of the religiously effete and over-pious.Ex: As more and more copies are produced, so the amount of dye on the master is reduced layer by layer until the image on the copy paper becomes quite faint.Ex: Previous research has demonstrated that frail elderly living in subsidized high-rise apartments have greater unmet needs than elderly who reside in traditional community housing.Ex: The author wrings sick humor from its feckless heroes' forlorn attempts to escape from a drug habit that they do not really enjoy any longer.Ex: Although it may be a bit thin in its use of standard academic sources of information, it is exceedingly strong on insider information and personal interviews.Ex: According to Safire, when a slice a cake was put before him Putin said 'Sweets are for weaklings and children'.Ex: Under the same regimens of treatment the number of runts produced varied from none to as much as 80 per cent of the litter.Ex: Usually, half of us would sleep on the ground outside and the other half would go for the nesh option of sleeping in a tent or hut.Ex: Shock as boofy blokes beat weedy intellectual in popularity contest.Ex: By running away he shows who he is -- a boneless coward who never engaged in direct confrontation with the enemy.* alto y débil = spindly [spindlier -comp., spindliest -sup.].* débil de salud = poor health.* débiles, los = little guy, the.* en el momento más débil de Alguien = at + Posesivo + weakest.* eslabón débil = weak link.* hacerse el débil = sandbagging.* luz débil = glimmer.* más débil de la camada, el = runt of the litter, the.* más débil del grupo, el = runt of the litter, the.* punto débil = blind spot, weak link.* punto débil, el = chink in the armour, the.* ser el contrincante más débil = punch above + Posesivo + weight.* ser el punto más débil de Alguien = be at + Posesivo + weakest.* * *débil1adjective1 ‹persona› (físicamente) weak; (falto de — firmeza) soft; (— voluntad) weak; ‹economía/ejército/gobierno› weakes de complexión débil she has a very weak constitutionaún está débil he's still weakes muy débil de carácter he has a very weak character2 ‹sonido/voz› faint; ‹moneda› weak; ‹corriente› weak; ‹argumento› weak; ‹excusa› feeble, lameda una luz muy débil it gives out a very dim o feeble o weak light3 (Ling) ‹sílaba/vocal› unstressed, weakdébil2masculine and femininelos débiles the weakes un débil mental (fam); he's soft in the head (colloq)eres un debilucho (fam); you're a wimp (colloq)los económicamente débiles (frml); those on low incomes* * *
débil adjetivoa) ‹persona/economía/gobierno› weakb) ‹sonido/voz› faint;
‹moneda/argumento› weak;
‹excusa› feeble, lame;
‹luz› dim, faint;
‹sílaba/vocal› unstressed, weak
débil
I adj (fuerza, salud) weak, feeble: el argumento era muy débil, his reasoning was flawed
es muy débil de carácter, she is very weak
es muy débil con sus alumnos, he is lenient with his students o he is over-indulgent with his students
(intensidad de luz o sonido) faint
punto débil, weak spot
II mf
1 weak person: el fuerte oprime al débil, the powerful opress the weak
2 (blandengue) wimp: eres una débil, no aguantas nada el calor, don't be such a wimp, it's not even hot
'débil' also found in these entries:
Spanish:
A
- alicaída
- alicaído
- flaca
- flaco
- flojear
- goteo
- talón
- tenue
- blando
- flojo
- lánguido
- pelele
- sexo
English:
A
- an
- anaemic
- and
- as
- be
- chink
- dim
- do
- failing
- faint
- feather
- feeble
- frail
- from
- infirm
- limp
- link
- shaky
- shall
- should
- tenuous
- than
- that
- them
- thin
- to
- weak
- were
- what
- whatever
- wimp
- wimpish
- would
- you
- your
- yourself
- fragile
- glimmer
- hole
- low
- muted
- run
- spindly
- spineless
- weakly
- weakness
* * *débil♦ adj1. [persona] [sin fuerzas] weak;[condescendiente] lax, lenient;de constitución débil prone to illness, sickly;débil de carácter of weak character2. [voz, sonido] faint;[luz] dim, faint;una débil mejoría a slight improvement;una débil brisa movía las cortinas a slight breeze moved the curtains3. [país, gobierno, moneda] weak;[argumento, teoría] weak, lame4. [sílaba] unstressed5. [vocal] weak [i, u]♦ nmfweak person;ser un débil to be weak;una enfermedad que ataca a los más débiles a disease which attacks the weakest o most vulnerable* * *débiladj weak* * *débil adj: weak, feeble♦ débilmente adv* * *débil adj1. (en general) weaktodavía se siente muy débil he still feels very weak2. (ruido) faintse oyó una voz débil a faint voice could be heard3. (luz) dim [comp. dimmer; superl. dimmest]
Spanish-English dictionary. 2013.
