Understanding and using expressions related to weakness can enhance your English communication skills. These expressions are commonly used to describe situations, people, or conditions that lack strength or power. By learning these expressions, you can convey your thoughts more precisely and effectively in various contexts.
1. Throw in the towel
Meaning: Give up
Example: He threw in the towel after many failures.
2. At the end of one’s rope
Meaning: Out of patience
Example: She’s at the end of her rope with this job.
3. On the ropes
Meaning: In trouble
Example: The company is on the ropes financially.
4. Go to pieces
Meaning: Lose control
Example: She went to pieces after the bad news.
5. Crack under pressure
Meaning: Fail under stress
Example: He cracked under pressure during the exam.
6. Bend under the weight
Meaning: Struggle with burden
Example: He bent under the weight of responsibilities.
7. Fall apart
Meaning: Become ineffective
Example: The team fell apart in the second half.
8. Have feet of clay
Meaning: Have a weakness
Example: The hero had feet of clay in the end.
9. Be a pushover
Meaning: Easily influenced
Example: He’s such a pushover at negotiations.
10. Spineless
Meaning: Lacking courage
Example: He was too spineless to confront her.
11. Lose one’s grip
Meaning: Lose control
Example: She’s losing her grip on the project.
12. Chicken out
Meaning: Back out
Example: He chickened out of the challenge last minute.
13. Wither away
Meaning: Gradually weaken
Example: His strength withered away with illness.
14. A soft touch
Meaning: Easily persuaded
Example: She’s a soft touch for sob stories.
15. Drop the ball
Meaning: Fail to act
Example: He dropped the ball on the deadline.
16. Hang by a thread
Meaning: In a fragile state
Example: His health is hanging by a thread.
17. Come apart at the seams
Meaning: Fail completely
Example: The plan came apart at the seams.
18. Be down and out
Meaning: Lacking resources
Example: He was down and out after losing his job.
19. Give way
Meaning: Collapse under strain
Example: The old bridge gave way during the storm.
20. Fall flat
Meaning: Fail completely
Example: His joke fell flat with the audience.
