infirm

English

Etymology

• The noun is from Middle English infirme, from Latin infirmus (“weak, feeble”).
• The verb is from Latin īnfirmāre. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈfɜːm/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ɪnˈfɜɹm/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)m

Adjective

infirm (comparative infirmer, superlative infirmest)

1. Weak or ill, not in good health.

   He was infirm of body but still keen of mind, and though it looked like he couldn't walk across the room, he crushed me in debate.

   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:

     […] Here I stand your slave,
     A poor, infirm, weak, and despis’d old man.

   • 2023 August 30, “Security Advisory For Polling Day”, in Singapore Police Force‎:

     There will be special drop-off points at all polling stations for vehicles conveying voters who are sick, infirm, or disabled.

2. Irresolute; weak of mind or will.
   • c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

     Infirm of purpose!
     Give me the daggers: […]

   • 1797, Edmund Burke, “Letter III.”, in A Third Letter to a Member of the Present Parliament, on the Proposals for Peace with the Regicide Directory of France, London: […] F[rancis] and C[harles] Rivington, […]; sold also by J[ohn] Hatchard, […], →OCLC, page 30:

     […] vehement passion does not always indicate an infirm judgment.

3. Frail; unstable; insecure.
   • 1692–1717, Robert South, “The Practice of Religion Enforced by Reason”, in Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), London, [https:// page 3]:

     He who fixes upon false Principles, treads upon Infirm ground, and so sinks […]

Synonyms

• crank, ill, sick, unwell

Derived terms

• infirmity
• infirmly
• infirmness

Related terms

• infirmary

Translations

weak; feeble

Bulgarian: немощен (bg) (nemošten), безсилен (bg) (bezsilen) Catalan: malaltís (ca) m Czech: nemohoucí (cs), vetchý, neduživý (cs) Estonian: nõder French: infirme (fr) German: schwach (de), schwächlich (de), kränklich (de), gebrechlich (de), siech (de), kraftlos (de) Greek: Ancient Greek: ἄρρωστος (árrhōstos) Maori: manauhea, tārutu Ottoman Turkish: ضعیف (zaʼif), درمانسز (dermansız) Portuguese: enfermo (pt), combalido Romanian: infirm (ro) Russian: не́мощный (ru) (némoščnyj) Spanish: enfermizo (es), endeble (es)

irresolute

Czech: nerozhodný

insecure

Czech: nepevný, nejistý German: unsicher (de) Spanish: inseguro (es)

unstable

Bulgarian: неустойчив (bg) (neustojčiv) German: instabil (de) Romanian: instabil (ro) Russian: неусто́йчивый (ru) (neustójčivyj)

Verb

infirm (third-person singular simple present infirms, present participle infirming, simple past and past participle infirmed)

1. To contradict, to provide proof that something is not.

   The thought is that you see an episode of observation, experiment, or reasoning as confirming or infirming a hypothesis depending on whether your probability for it increases or decreases during the episode.

Synonyms

• disconfirm

Antonyms

• confirm

Derived terms

• infirmation

Translations

contradict

Bulgarian: противореча (bg) (protivoreča) Czech: vyvrátit (cs) French: infirmer (fr)

Anagrams

• Firmin

Romanian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /inˈfirm/

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French infirme, from Latin infirmus.

Adjective

infirm m or n (feminine singular infirmă, masculine plural infirmi, feminine and neuter plural infirme)

1. crippled

   Synonyms: invalid, schilod, beteag

Declension

Declension of infirm

		singular				plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine		masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	infirm		infirmă		infirmi	infirme
	definite	infirmul		infirma		infirmii	infirmele
genitive- dative	indefinite	infirm		infirme		infirmi	infirme
	definite	infirmului		infirmei		infirmilor	infirmelor

Related terms

• infirmitate

Noun

infirm m (plural infirmi, feminine equivalent infirmă)

1. cripple, invalid

   Synonyms: invalid, schilod

Declension

Declension of infirm

	singular			plural
	indefinite	definite		indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	infirm	infirmul		infirmi	infirmii
genitive-dative	infirm	infirmului		infirmi	infirmilor
vocative	infirmule			infirmilor

Etymology 2

Inflected form of infirma (“to invalidate”).

Verb

infirm

1. first-person singular present indicative/subjunctive of infirma