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infirm

[in-furm]

Example Sentences Origin

adjective

feeble or weak in body or health, especially because of age; ailing.

unsteadfast, faltering, or irresolute, as persons or the mind; vacillating: infirm of purpose.

not firm, solid, or strong: an infirm support.

unsound or invalid, as an argument or a property title.

verb (used with object)

to invalidate.

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Infirm is one of our favorite verbs.

So is fletcherise. Does it mean:

to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly.

to bark; yelp.

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Origin:
1325–75; Middle English infirme < Latin infirmus. See in-³, firm¹

Related forms

in·firm·ly, adverb

in·firm·ness, noun

Synonyms
1, 3, 4. weak. 2. wavering, indecisive. 3. rickety, tottering, shaky, unsteady.

Antonyms
1, 2, 3. strong.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To infirm

Example Sentences

The rest of the elderly infirm had to make their own arrangements.

It does not require a general anaesthetic, making it an attractive option for the elderly or infirm.

Space was valuable on the wagon train and, if available, for the old and infirm only.

EXPAND

The rest of the elderly infirm had to make their own arrangements.

It does not require a general anaesthetic, making it an attractive option for the elderly or infirm.

Space was valuable on the wagon train and, if available, for the old and infirm only.

The floods are tragic beyond words, and the whole world has to open its heart to relieve the suffering of the pooor and infirm.

The way that humans take care of the sick and infirm within their communities is considered a unique trait.

In fact, the immune systems of the old and infirm don't respond efficiently to the flu vaccine.

Infirm buildings collapse each week, sometimes because they cannot withstand the vibrations from nearby construction work.

Gross tells of her struggle to help her infirm mother, and offers practical advice on eldercare.

What appears to determine the onset of infirm old age is not the number of years from birth but the number to death.

She finds work as an attendant at a hot springs spa catering to the elderly and infirm.

Japan's elderly currency, by contrast, is anything but infirm.

When granny has become so infirm that she can no longer make a cup of tea, she may be nudged into a care home.

Four of their highest-ranking leaders await trial but they are old and infirm.

They let the paralysed walk and give careworkers extra strength to carry the old and infirm to a wheelchair.

There is nobody old, obviously pregnant or infirm in the queue.

The city's effort to get the elderly and infirm out of harm's way did not always proceed smoothly.

More than that, it could help the elderly and infirm by making it easier to get around.

When they themselves become infirm newer and younger residents will help take care of their needs.

No grain stores have been collected or charity houses opened for the infirm and the aged'.

The care and respect of the elderly and infirm is an almost universal aspect of human civilization.

Price had grown frail and infirm by that time, which affected his ability to walk, and the committee was often run by a colleague.

Joseph, a progressive approach to end-of-life care is preparing the infirm sisters of the aging congregation for a gentler death.

The men arrive in suits, the women in dressy outfits, the infirm ferried over by golf cart.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

infirm (ɪnˈfɜːm)

—*adj*
1.	a. weak in health or body, esp from old age
	b. (as collective noun; preceded by the): the infirm
2.	lacking moral certainty; indecisive or irresolute
3.	not stable, sound, or secure: an infirm structure; an infirm claim
4.	law (of a law, custom, etc) lacking legal force; invalid

in'firmly

—*adv*

in'firmness

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

infirm

late 14c., "weak, unsound" (of things), from L. infirmus "weak, frail," from in- "not" + firmus (see firm (adj.)). Of persons, "not strong, unhealthy," first recorded 1605.

American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

infirm in·firm (ĭn-fûrm')
adj.
Weak in body, especially from old age or disease; feeble.

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Matching Quote

"The delicate and infirm go for sympathy, not to the well and buoyant, but to those who have suffered like themselves."

-Catherine E. Beecher

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