ضعيف

See also: ضعیف‎

Arabic

Etymology

From the root ض ع ف‎ (ḍ-ʿ-f).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dˤa.ʕiːf/

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

ضَعِيف • (ḍaʿīf) (feminine ضَعِيفَة‎ (ḍaʿīfa), common plural ضِعَاف‎ (ḍiʿāf), masculine plural ضَعِيفُون‎ (ḍaʿīfūn) or ضُعَفَاء‎ (ḍuʿafāʾ) or ضَعَفَة‎ (ḍaʿafa) or ضَعْفَى‎ (ḍaʿfā) or ضَعَافَى‎ (ḍaʿāfā), feminine plural ضَعِيفَات‎ (ḍaʿīfāt) or ضَعَائِف‎ (ḍaʿāʾif), elative أَضْعَف‎ (ʾaḍʿaf))

1. weak
2. slim, fit, skinny, thin

   Synonyms: نَحِيف‎ (naḥīf), رَشِيق‎ (rašīq)

   Antonyms: سَمِين‎ (samīn), مَتِين‎ (matīn), بَدِين‎ (badīn)

3. feeble
4. limp
5. fragile
6. impotent
7. flaccid

Declension

Declension of adjective ضَعِيف (ḍaʿīf)

Singular	Masculine		Feminine
	basic singular triptote		singular triptote in ـَة (-a)
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	ضَعِيف ḍaʿīf	الضَّعِيف‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīf	ضَعِيفَة‎ ḍaʿīfa	الضَّعِيفَة‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfa
Nominative	ضَعِيفٌ ḍaʿīfun	الضَّعِيفُ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfu	ضَعِيفَةٌ‎ ḍaʿīfatun	الضَّعِيفَةُ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfatu
Accusative	ضَعِيفًا‎ ḍaʿīfan	الضَّعِيفَ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfa	ضَعِيفَةً‎ ḍaʿīfatan	الضَّعِيفَةَ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfata
Genitive	ضَعِيفٍ ḍaʿīfin	الضَّعِيفِ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfi	ضَعِيفَةٍ‎ ḍaʿīfatin	الضَّعِيفَةِ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfati
Dual	Masculine		Feminine
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	ضَعِيفَيْن‎ ḍaʿīfayn	الضَّعِيفَيْن‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfayn	ضَعِيفَتَيْن‎ ḍaʿīfatayn	الضَّعِيفَتَيْن‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfatayn
Nominative	ضَعِيفَانِ‎ ḍaʿīfāni	الضَّعِيفَانِ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfāni	ضَعِيفَتَانِ‎ ḍaʿīfatāni	الضَّعِيفَتَانِ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfatāni
Accusative	ضَعِيفَيْنِ‎ ḍaʿīfayni	الضَّعِيفَيْنِ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfayni	ضَعِيفَتَيْنِ‎ ḍaʿīfatayni	الضَّعِيفَتَيْنِ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfatayni
Genitive	ضَعِيفَيْنِ‎ ḍaʿīfayni	الضَّعِيفَيْنِ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfayni	ضَعِيفَتَيْنِ‎ ḍaʿīfatayni	الضَّعِيفَتَيْنِ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfatayni
Plural	Masculine		Feminine
	sound masculine plural‎; basic broken plural diptote‎; broken plural triptote in ـَة (-a)‎; broken plural invariable‎; basic broken plural triptote		sound feminine plural‎; basic broken plural diptote‎; basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Informal	ضَعِيفِين‎‎; ضُعَفَاء‎‎; ضَعَفَة‎‎; ضَعْفَى‎‎; ضَعَافَى‎‎; ضِعَاف‎ ḍaʿīfīn‎; ḍuʿafāʾ‎; ḍaʿafa‎; ḍaʿfā‎; ḍaʿāfā‎; ḍiʿāf	الضَّعِيفِين‎‎; الضُّعَفَاء‎‎; الضَّعَفَة‎‎; الضَّعْفَى‎‎; الضَّعَافَى‎‎; الضِّعَاف‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfīn‎; aḍ-ḍuʿafāʾ‎; aḍ-ḍaʿafa‎; aḍ-ḍaʿfā‎; aḍ-ḍaʿāfā‎; aḍ-ḍiʿāf	ضَعِيفَات‎‎; ضَعَائِف‎‎; ضِعَاف‎ ḍaʿīfāt‎; ḍaʿāʾif‎; ḍiʿāf	الضَّعِيفَات‎‎; الضَّعَائِف‎‎; الضِّعَاف‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfāt‎; aḍ-ḍaʿāʾif‎; aḍ-ḍiʿāf
Nominative	ضَعِيفُونَ‎‎; ضُعَفَاءُ‎‎; ضَعَفَةٌ‎‎; ضَعْفَى‎‎; ضَعَافَى‎‎; ضِعَافٌ‎ ḍaʿīfūna‎; ḍuʿafāʾu‎; ḍaʿafatun‎; ḍaʿfā‎; ḍaʿāfā‎; ḍiʿāfun	الضَّعِيفُونَ‎‎; الضُّعَفَاءُ‎‎; الضَّعَفَةُ‎‎; الضَّعْفَى‎‎; الضَّعَافَى‎‎; الضِّعَافُ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfūna‎; aḍ-ḍuʿafāʾu‎; aḍ-ḍaʿafatu‎; aḍ-ḍaʿfā‎; aḍ-ḍaʿāfā‎; aḍ-ḍiʿāfu	ضَعِيفَاتٌ‎‎; ضَعَائِفُ‎‎; ضِعَافٌ‎ ḍaʿīfātun‎; ḍaʿāʾifu‎; ḍiʿāfun	الضَّعِيفَاتُ‎‎; الضَّعَائِفُ‎‎; الضِّعَافُ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfātu‎; aḍ-ḍaʿāʾifu‎; aḍ-ḍiʿāfu
Accusative	ضَعِيفِينَ‎‎; ضُعَفَاءَ‎‎; ضَعَفَةً‎‎; ضَعْفَى‎‎; ضَعَافَى‎‎; ضِعَافًا‎ ḍaʿīfīna‎; ḍuʿafāʾa‎; ḍaʿafatan‎; ḍaʿfā‎; ḍaʿāfā‎; ḍiʿāfan	الضَّعِيفِينَ‎‎; الضُّعَفَاءَ‎‎; الضَّعَفَةَ‎‎; الضَّعْفَى‎‎; الضَّعَافَى‎‎; الضِّعَافَ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfīna‎; aḍ-ḍuʿafāʾa‎; aḍ-ḍaʿafata‎; aḍ-ḍaʿfā‎; aḍ-ḍaʿāfā‎; aḍ-ḍiʿāfa	ضَعِيفَاتٍ‎‎; ضَعَائِفَ‎‎; ضِعَافًا‎ ḍaʿīfātin‎; ḍaʿāʾifa‎; ḍiʿāfan	الضَّعِيفَاتِ‎‎; الضَّعَائِفَ‎‎; الضِّعَافَ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfāti‎; aḍ-ḍaʿāʾifa‎; aḍ-ḍiʿāfa
Genitive	ضَعِيفِينَ‎‎; ضُعَفَاءَ‎‎; ضَعَفَةٍ‎‎; ضَعْفَى‎‎; ضَعَافَى‎‎; ضِعَافٍ‎ ḍaʿīfīna‎; ḍuʿafāʾa‎; ḍaʿafatin‎; ḍaʿfā‎; ḍaʿāfā‎; ḍiʿāfin	الضَّعِيفِينَ‎‎; الضُّعَفَاءِ‎‎; الضَّعَفَةِ‎‎; الضَّعْفَى‎‎; الضَّعَافَى‎‎; الضِّعَافِ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfīna‎; aḍ-ḍuʿafāʾi‎; aḍ-ḍaʿafati‎; aḍ-ḍaʿfā‎; aḍ-ḍaʿāfā‎; aḍ-ḍiʿāfi	ضَعِيفَاتٍ‎‎; ضَعَائِفَ‎‎; ضِعَافٍ‎ ḍaʿīfātin‎; ḍaʿāʾifa‎; ḍiʿāfin	الضَّعِيفَاتِ‎‎; الضَّعَائِفِ‎‎; الضِّعَافِ‎ aḍ-ḍaʿīfāti‎; aḍ-ḍaʿāʾifi‎; aḍ-ḍiʿāfi

Antonyms

• قَوِيّ‎ (qawiyy)

Descendants

• → Azerbaijani: zəif
• Ottoman Turkish: ضعیف‎ (zaif)
  • → Turkish: zayıf
• → Swahili: dhaifu

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South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic ضَعِيف‎ (ḍaʿīf).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dˤʕiːf/, [dˤʕiːf]

• Audio (Ramallah)

  (file)

Adjective

ضعيف • (ḍʕīf) (feminine ضعيفة‎ (ḍʕīfe), masculine plural ضعاج‎ (ḍʕāf), elative أضعف‎ (ʔaḍʕaf))

1. weak

   Antonym: قوي‎ (ʾawi)

2. thin (of a person)

   ‏البنت ضعيفة، لازم تاكل موز.‎‎

   il-bint ḍʕīfe, lāzem tākol mōz.

   The girl is thin, she should eat bananas.

   Synonym: نحيف‎ (naḥīf)

   Antonyms: (for people) ناصح‎ (nāṣeḥ), (usually for animals) سمين‎ (smīn)

See also

• رفيع‎ (rafīʕ, “thin, slender, slin (round object)”)
• رقي‎ (rʾīʾ, “thin, fine (flat object)”)