weak ending

noun

, Prosody.

1. a verse ending in which the metrical stress falls on a word or syllable that would not be stressed in natural utterance, as a preposition, the object of which is carried over to the next line.

Word History and Origins

Origin of weak ending¹

First recorded in 1855–60

Example Sentences

Maybe the nuances of these exchanges don't matter too much, but it was a weak ending, after an effective build-up.

From BBC

A weak ending to 2015 and the expectation of improving profit growth in 2016 will set the stage for a single-digit gain in U.S. stocks next year, a modest forecast at least by recent standards, according to strategists polled by Reuters.

From Reuters

"The manufacturing slowdown points to a weak ending for 2014," said Hongbin Qu, chief economist for China at HSBC.

From Reuters

It’s a weak ending for what is, in places, a strong book.

From New York Times

Still, the weak ending doesn’t erase the many dinner-conversation takeaways a reader finds in Gladwell’s latest attempt to make us look beyond the surface.

From Time