meek

adjective

ˈmēk 

1

: enduring injury with patience and without resentment : mild

a meek child dominated by his brothers

2

: deficient in spirit and courage : submissive

"I don't care," came the meek reply

—Annetta Miller

3

: not violent or strong : moderate

his delivery varied from a meek, melodic patter to rapid-fire scriptural allusions

—Bob Trebilcock

meekly adverb

Synonyms

• demure
• down-to-earth
• humble
• lowly
• modest
• unassuming
• unpretentious

Examples of meek in a Sentence

a meek child dominated by his brothers

She may seem meek and mild but it is all an act.

Recent Examples on the Web

Gary starts the film as a meek, somewhat nerdy college professor, but circumstances quickly force him into the uncomfortable position of becoming an undercover police informant. —Ars Technica, 23 Dec. 2024

Premature predictions of renewal would be foolish and, as Howe continually stressed, Newcastle cannot allow one strong outing to be followed by another meek one. —Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 16 Dec. 2024

October’s initial report showed a meek 12,000 total jobs added. —Alicia Wallace, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’s Joel, for example, is a fundamentally meek person. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse mjūkr gentle; akin to Welsh esmwyth soft

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

meek

adjective

ˈmēk 

1

: putting up with wrongs patiently and without complaint : mild

2

: lacking spirit or self-assurance : humble

meekly adverb

meekness noun