schwach

Schwach is a German adjective meaning lacking strength or effectiveness. It describes physical frailty, feebleness, or weak performance, and can refer to people, objects, or phenomena. Examples include eine schwache Leistung (a weak performance) or ein schwaches Licht (a faint light). It can also describe an argument or plan that is poorly grounded or unconvincing: eine schwache Begründung.

Inflection and usage: with definite articles the forms are der schwache Mann, die schwache Lampe, das schwache Argument; in the plural: die schwachen Männer, die schwachen Lampen. Predicative use is common: Der Mann ist schwach. The comparative form is schwächer and the superlative am schwächsten. As an adverb, schwach can occur in contexts such as Reaktion oder Wirksamkeit, though more precise phrases are often used to express degree (e.g., schlecht, weniger stark).

Etymology: schwach derives from Old High German schwach, from Proto-Germanic swakaz meaning weak. Related words include Dutch zwak and English weak. Historically, the sense broadened from physical weakness to include weaknesses in logic, systems, or strength of performance.

Contexts and compound terms: in everyday language, schwach describes physical weakness, limited potency, or insubstantial evidence. In science, the term appears in the phrase Schwache Wechselwirkung (the weak nuclear force), one of the four fundamental interactions, mediated by W and Z bosons and operating at subatomic scales. Related nouns include Schwäche (weakness) and Schwachstelle (weak point or vulnerability).