debil

See also: débil, dèbil, and dębił

Albanian

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin debilis (“weak, frail, feeble”).

Noun

debil m

1. moron, idiot

Chavacano

Etymology

Inherited from Spanish débil (“weak”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdebil/, [ˈd̪e.bil]
• Hyphenation: de‧bil

Adjective

debil

1. weak

Czech

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *de

Proto-Indo-European *-h₁

Proto-Indo-European *déh₁

Proto-Italic *dē

Latin dē

Latin dē-

Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ-

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti

Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti

Proto-Italic *haβēō

Latin habeō

Latin debeoder.?

Proto-Indo-European *bel-der.?

Latin debilisbor.

Czech debil

Borrowed from Latin debilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈdɛbɪl]
• Rhymes: -ɛbɪl

Noun

debil m anim

1. (offensive) a moron (disliked person), a dumb person

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:hlupák

2. (dated, medicine) mentally ill person

Declension

Declension of debil (hard masculine animate)

	singular	plural
nominative	debil	debilové
genitive	debila	debilů
dative	debilovi, debilu	debilům
accusative	debila	debily
vocative	debile	debilové
locative	debilovi, debilu	debilech
instrumental	debilem	debily

Related terms

• debilita
• debilní

Further reading

• “debil”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “debil”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “debil”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin debilis.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iːl

Adjective

debil

1. moronic

Inflection

Inflection of debil

	positive	comparative	superlative
indefinite common singular	debil	—	—2
indefinite neuter singular	debilt	—	—2
plural	debile	—	—2
definite attributive1	debile	—	—

¹ When an adjective is applied predicatively to something definite,
the corresponding "indefinite" form is used.
² The "indefinite" superlatives may not be used attributively.

References

• “debil” in Den Danske Ordbog

German

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin debilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /deˈbiːl/

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːl
• Hyphenation: de‧bil

Adjective

debil (strong nominative masculine singular debiler, comparative debiler, superlative am debilsten)

1. (dated, now offensive) slightly mentally challenged; slightly retarded; moron

Declension

Positive forms of debil

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist debil	sie ist debil	es ist debil	sie sind debil
strong declension (without article)	nominative	debiler	debile	debiles	debile
	genitive	debilen	debiler	debilen	debiler
	dative	debilem	debiler	debilem	debilen
	accusative	debilen	debile	debiles	debile
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der debile	die debile	das debile	die debilen
	genitive	des debilen	der debilen	des debilen	der debilen
	dative	dem debilen	der debilen	dem debilen	den debilen
	accusative	den debilen	die debile	das debile	die debilen
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein debiler	eine debile	ein debiles	(keine) debilen
	genitive	eines debilen	einer debilen	eines debilen	(keiner) debilen
	dative	einem debilen	einer debilen	einem debilen	(keinen) debilen
	accusative	einen debilen	eine debile	ein debiles	(keine) debilen

Comparative forms of debil

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist debiler	sie ist debiler	es ist debiler	sie sind debiler
strong declension (without article)	nominative	debilerer	debilere	debileres	debilere
	genitive	debileren	debilerer	debileren	debilerer
	dative	debilerem	debilerer	debilerem	debileren
	accusative	debileren	debilere	debileres	debilere
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der debilere	die debilere	das debilere	die debileren
	genitive	des debileren	der debileren	des debileren	der debileren
	dative	dem debileren	der debileren	dem debileren	den debileren
	accusative	den debileren	die debilere	das debilere	die debileren
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein debilerer	eine debilere	ein debileres	(keine) debileren
	genitive	eines debileren	einer debileren	eines debileren	(keiner) debileren
	dative	einem debileren	einer debileren	einem debileren	(keinen) debileren
	accusative	einen debileren	eine debilere	ein debileres	(keine) debileren

Superlative forms of debil

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist am debilsten	sie ist am debilsten	es ist am debilsten	sie sind am debilsten
strong declension (without article)	nominative	debilster	debilste	debilstes	debilste
	genitive	debilsten	debilster	debilsten	debilster
	dative	debilstem	debilster	debilstem	debilsten
	accusative	debilsten	debilste	debilstes	debilste
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der debilste	die debilste	das debilste	die debilsten
	genitive	des debilsten	der debilsten	des debilsten	der debilsten
	dative	dem debilsten	der debilsten	dem debilsten	den debilsten
	accusative	den debilsten	die debilste	das debilste	die debilsten
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein debilster	eine debilste	ein debilstes	(keine) debilsten
	genitive	eines debilsten	einer debilsten	eines debilsten	(keiner) debilsten
	dative	einem debilsten	einer debilsten	einem debilsten	(keinen) debilsten
	accusative	einen debilsten	eine debilste	ein debilstes	(keine) debilsten

Derived terms

• grenzdebil

Related terms

• Debilität

Further reading

• “debil” in Duden online
• “debil”, in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache‎^[2] (in German)
• “debil” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon

Gullah

Etymology

From English devil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɛ.bɪl/

Noun

debil

1. devil
2. demon
3. Satan

References

• De Nyew Testament‎^[3], Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc., 2025

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin dēbilis. Attested from the 13th century.

Pronunciation

• Audio (Béarn):

  (file)

Adjective

debil m (feminine singular debila, masculine plural debils, feminine plural debilas)

1. weak

   Synonym: feble

   Antonym: fòrt

Related terms

• debilitar
• debilitat

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *de

Proto-Indo-European *-h₁

Proto-Indo-European *déh₁

Proto-Italic *dē

Latin dē

Latin dē-

Proto-Indo-European *gʰeh₁bʰ-

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti

Proto-Indo-European *-yeti

Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti

Proto-Indo-European *gʰh₁bʰéh₁yeti

Proto-Italic *haβēō

Latin habeō

Latin debeoder.?

Proto-Indo-European *bel-der.?

Latin debilislbor.

French débilelbor.

Polish debil

Learned borrowing from French débile.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdɛ.bil/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛbil
• Syllabification: de‧bil

Noun

debil m pers (female equivalent debilka)

1. (derogatory) a moron

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:głupiec

2. (obsolete, pathology) person with slight mental retardation

Declension

Declension of debil

	singular	plural
nominative	debil	debile
genitive	debila	debili/debilów
dative	debilowi	debilom
accusative	debila	debili/debilów
instrumental	debilem	debilami
locative	debilu	debilach
vocative	debilu	debile

Derived terms

• debilizm
• debilny

Further reading

• “debil”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[4] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “debil”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[5] (in Polish)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from French débile, from Latin debilis.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

debil m or n (feminine singular debilă, masculine plural debili, feminine/neuter plural debile)

1. stupid

Declension

Declension of debil

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative- accusative	indefinite	debil		debilă	debili	debile
	definite	debilul		debila	debilii	debilele
genitive- dative	indefinite	debil		debile	debili	debile
	definite	debilului		debilei	debililor	debilelor

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin debilis.

Noun

dèbīl m anim (Cyrillic spelling дѐбӣл)

1. (pathology, obsolete) person with slight mental retardation
2. (derogatory) a moron, jerk

Usage notes

In obsolete medical usage, "debil" denoted the mildest level of developmental disability. More severe levels were denoted by the words imbecil and idiot.

Declension

Declension of debil

	singular	plural
nominative	debil	debili
genitive	debila	debila
dative	debilu	debilima
accusative	debila	debile
vocative	debile	debili
locative	debilu	debilima
instrumental	debilom	debilima

Derived terms

• debilizam
• debilni

Further reading

• “debil”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2026

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin debilis. Used since the 1920s.

Adjective

debil (not comparable)

1. moronic, slightly mentally challenged

Declension

Inflection of debil

Indefinite	positive	comparative	superlative1
common singular	debil	—	—
neuter singular	debilt	—	—
plural	debila	—	—
masculine plural2	debile	—	—
Definite	positive	comparative	superlative
masculine singular3	debile	—	—
all	debila	—	—

¹ The indefinite superlative forms are only used in the predicative.
² Dated or archaic.
³ Only used, optionally, to refer to things whose natural gender is masculine.

Synonyms

• efterbliven
• förståndsklen
• förståndssvag
• utvecklingsstörd

Related terms

• debilitet

References

• “debil”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• Debil in Nordisk familjebok (2nd ed. supplement, 1926)
• debil in Ord för ord : svenska synonymer och uttryck (1984)

Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from French débil.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /deˈbil/
• Hyphenation: de‧bil

Adjective

debil (medicine)

1. physically and mentally weak

Declension

Predicative forms of debil

present tense
	positive declarative	positive interrogative
ben (I am)	debilim	debil miyim?
sen (you are)	debilsin	debil misin?
o (he/she/it is)	debil / debildir	debil mi?
biz (we are)	debiliz	debil miyiz?
siz (you are)	debilsiniz	debil misiniz?
onlar (they are)	debil(ler)	debil(ler) mi?
past tense
	positive declarative	positive interrogative
ben (I was)	debildim	debil miydim?
sen (you were)	debildin	debil miydin?
o (he/she/it was)	debildi	debil miydi?
biz (we were)	debildik	debil miydik?
siz (you were)	debildiniz	debil miydiniz?
onlar (they were)	debildiler	debil miydiler?
indirect past
	positive declarative	positive interrogative
ben (I was)	debilmişim	debil miymişim?
sen (you were)	debilmişsin	debil miymişsin?
o (he/she/it was)	debilmiş	debil miymiş?
biz (we were)	debilmişiz	debil miymişiz?
siz (you were)	debilmişsiniz	debil miymişsiniz?
onlar (they were)	debilmişler	debil miymişler?
conditional
	positive declarative	positive interrogative
ben (if I)	debilsem	debil miysem?
sen (if you)	debilsen	debil miysen?
o (if he/she/it)	debilse	debil miyse?
biz (if we)	debilsek	debil miysek?
siz (if you)	debilseniz	debil miyseniz?
onlar (if they)	debilseler	debil miyseler?

For negative forms, use the appropriate form of değil.

Derived terms

• debillik

Further reading

• “debil”, in Turkish dictionaries, Türk Dil Kurumu
• Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–), “debil”, in Nişanyan Sözlük