VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

meekness

noun·Advanced

Last updated

UK/ˈmiːknəs/
US/ˈmiːknəs/

Meanings

  1. noununcountable

    A gentle, patient, humble way of behaving, in which a person does not push forward or argue.

    Grammar: A mass noun: she answered with meekness.

    Patterns

    • with meekness
    • the meekness of someone

    He accepted the criticism with surprising meekness.

    Her meekness made her easy to overlook in meetings.

    The monk was known for his meekness and quiet patience.

  2. noununcountabledisapproving

    A readiness to obey or give way too easily, usually seen as a lack of spirit.

    Grammar: Used critically, often in contrast to courage or strength.

    Patterns

    • meekness in the face of something

    Critics blamed the committee's meekness for the failure to act.

    His meekness in front of the boss frustrated his friends.

    The country's meekness in negotiations cost it dearly.

Common combinations

quiet meekness
She answered with quiet meekness.
show meekness
He showed meekness when the teacher corrected him.
mistake meekness for weakness
Do not mistake meekness for weakness.
with great meekness
He bowed his head with great meekness.
meekness and humility
The saint was admired for meekness and humility.

Synonyms and how they differ

humility
Humility is about not thinking too highly of yourself, while meekness adds the idea of being gentle and unassertive.
docility
Docility stresses being easy to train or control, often of animals, which makes it less admiring than meekness.
submissiveness
Submissiveness means yielding to others' authority and is usually more negative than meekness.
gentleness
Gentleness is kindness and softness, without the sense of giving way to others.

Opposites

assertivenessarroganceboldness

Word family

meek adjective
quiet, gentle, and not likely to argue
meekly adverb
in a quiet, gentle, submissive way
meeker adjective
comparative of meek
meekest adjective
superlative of meek

Commonly confused: meekness or weakness?

meekness vs weakness

Weakness is a lack of strength or ability, while meekness describes gentle behavior that can be a choice.

Practice

Which sentence uses meekness correctly?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “meekness”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words