INFIRM

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does infirm mean? 

• INFIRM (adjective)
  The adjective INFIRM has 2 senses:

1. lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality

2. lacking firmness of will or character or purpose

  Familiarity information: INFIRM used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• INFIRM (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality

Synonyms:

debile; decrepit; feeble; infirm; rickety; sapless; weak; weakly

Context example:

her body looked sapless

Similar:

frail (physically weak)

Derivation:

infirmity (the state of being weak in health or body (especially from old age))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Lacking firmness of will or character or purpose

Context example:

infirm of purpose; give me the daggers

Similar:

irresolute (uncertain how to act or proceed)

 Context examples 

Infirmity! said Elinor, do you call Colonel Brandon infirm?

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Beth cherished them all the more tenderly for that very reason, and set up a hospital for infirm dolls.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I never knew my mother afterwards to give an opinion on any matter, without first appealing to Miss Murdstone, or without having first ascertained by some sure means, what Miss Murdstone's opinion was; and I never saw Miss Murdstone, when out of temper (she was infirm that way), move her hand towards her bag as if she were going to take out the keys and offer to resign them to my mother, without seeing that my mother was in a terrible fright.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

It had then seemed the object nearest her heart, that Dr Shirley, the rector, who for more than forty years had been zealously discharging all the duties of his office, but was now growing too infirm for many of them, should be quite fixed on engaging a curate; should make his curacy quite as good as he could afford, and should give Charles Hayter the promise of it.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Still, society associated my name and person with hers; I yet saw her and heard her daily: something of her breath (faugh!) mixed with the air I breathed; and besides, I remembered I had once been her husband—that recollection was then, and is now, inexpressibly odious to me; moreover, I knew that while she lived I could never be the husband of another and better wife; and, though five years my senior (her family and her father had lied to me even in the particular of her age), she was likely to live as long as I, being as robust in frame as she was infirm in mind.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

But they learnt, on enquiry, that its possessor, an elderly lady of very good character, was unfortunately too infirm to mix with the world, and never stirred from home.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Mr. W. being infirm, and it being within the bounds of probability that his decease might lead to some discoveries, and to the downfall of—HEEP'S—power over the W. family,—as I, Wilkins Micawber, the undersigned, assume—unless the filial affection of his daughter could be secretly influenced from allowing any investigation of the partnership affairs to be ever made, the said—HEEP—deemed it expedient to have a bond ready by him, as from Mr. W., for the before-mentioned sum of twelve six fourteen, two and nine, with interest, stated therein to have been advanced by—HEEP—to Mr. W. to save Mr. W. from dishonour; though really the sum was never advanced by him, and has long been replaced.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Twelve years had changed Anne from the blooming, silent, unformed girl of fifteen, to the elegant little woman of seven-and-twenty, with every beauty except bloom, and with manners as consciously right as they were invariably gentle; and twelve years had transformed the fine-looking, well-grown Miss Hamilton, in all the glow of health and confidence of superiority, into a poor, infirm, helpless widow, receiving the visit of her former protegee as a favour; but all that was uncomfortable in the meeting had soon passed away, and left only the interesting charm of remembering former partialities and talking over old times.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)