Learn ArabicB1 › ضُعْف

ضُعْف

weakness /ˈdˤuʕf/

nounB1#1567 most common

Also: feebleness, frailty, debility

Example sentences

أَشْعُرُ بِضُعْفٍ.
I feel weak.
عِنْدَهُ ضُعْفٌ فِي النَّظَرِ.
He has weak eyesight.
ضُعْفُ الْجِسْمِ يَحْتاجُ إِلى راحَةٍ.
Bodily weakness needs rest.
لاحَظَ الطَّبيبُ ضُعْفًا فِي عَضَلاتِهِ.
The doctor noticed weakness in his muscles.
لا تُظْهِرْ ضُعْفَكَ أَمامَ الْآخَرينَ.
Do not show your weakness in front of others.
يَكْمُنُ ضُعْفُ الْحُجَّةِ فِي افْتِقارِها إِلى الدَّليلِ.
The weakness of the argument lies in its lack of evidence.

Declension

CaseSingularPlural
Nominativeضُعْفٌأَضْعافٌ
Genitiveضُعْفٍأَضْعافٍ
Accusativeضُعْفًاأَضْعافًا
Vocativeيا ضُعْفُيا أَضْعافُ

Word family

ضَعيفweak
ضَعُفَto grow weak
أَضْعَفَto weaken
اِسْتَضْعَفَto regard as weak, to oppress
ضَعْفweakness (variant vocalization)

Etymology

The word comes from the Arabic root ض-ع-ف (ḍ-ʿ-f), which carries the sense of weakness and feebleness. The same root also yields ضِعْف, meaning a double or a multiple, since a doubled thing folds back on itself. ضُعْف follows the فُعْل pattern used for abstract nouns of state.

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