feeble-minded

[ fee-buhl-mahyn-did ]

adjective

1. lacking the normal mental powers.
2. Medicine/Medical. (no longer in technical use) mentally deficient.
3. stupid or foolish; not sensible:

   feeble-minded remarks.

4. Archaic. lacking firmness of mind; indecisive.

feeble-minded

adjective

1. lacking in intelligence; stupid
2. mentally defective
3. lacking decision; irresolute

Derived Forms

• ˌfeeble-ˈmindedly, adverb
• ˌfeeble-ˈmindedness, noun

Other Words From

• feeble-minded·ly adverb
• feeble-minded·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of feeble-minded¹

First recorded in 1525–35

Example Sentences

Some people chose to infer that we believed humans to be feeble-minded, which we never did.

From The Daily Beast

When she reached home the night before everything was on the sidewalk, and her feeble-minded sister was watching them.

From Project Gutenberg

And I reckin that's the cause of my bein' here to-day, accused of bein' feeble-minded.

From Project Gutenberg

In asylums for such patients, feeble-minded children not infrequently make sexual attempts on nurses and on other inmates.

From Project Gutenberg

If a feeble-minded person marry a sound, normal person (pure stock), all the children will be normal.

From Project Gutenberg

If the children, in the last case, marry others like themselves as to origin, one fourth of their offspring will be feeble-minded.

From Project Gutenberg