feebleminded

adjective

fee·​ble·​mind·​ed ˌfē-bəl-ˈmīn-dəd 

variants or feeble-minded

1

dated, offensive : impaired in intellectual ability : affected with intellectual disability

Note: This meaning of the word feebleminded, which is associated especially with eugenics practices of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is no longer used in medical, educational, and regulatory contexts and is considered offensive.

2

: foolish, stupid

… sexist stereotypes painting women as too feeble-minded and gullible to be the proper stewards of their own lives.

—Salon.com

… circled by blowhards too feeble-minded to understand their own racism.

—Eamon Lynch

3

obsolete : irresolute, vacillating

Examples of feebleminded in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That, Dovey Johnson Roundtree knew, could have immense significance for her client, a feebleminded day laborer accused of one of the most sensational murders of the mid-20th century. —Margalit Fox, New York Times, 21 May 2018

While the Queen is patient and nurturing with her addled husband, even making excuses for him when his erratic behavior turns violent, others in Madrid see his feebleminded unpredictability as cause for urgent replacement. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

feebleminded

adjective

fee·​ble·​mind·​ed ˌfē-bəl-ˈmīn-dəd 

: not having normal intelligence : mentally deficient

feeblemindedly adverb

feeblemindedness noun