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Infirmity

Disease
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A state of physical weakness, frailty, or chronic illness. It suggests vulnerability without naming a specific diagnosis.

Detailed Definition
Infirmity is a broad term for bodily weakness that can include age, disability, chronic disease, or the aftermath of injury. In poetry, it often allows a speaker to approach illness indirectly, emphasizing altered movement, dependence, fatigue, or a body no longer obeying its former habits. Its formal, sometimes biblical resonance can lend dignity to frailty, while also exposing the loneliness and social marginalization that may accompany a long-term condition.
Example
Example in poetry:
“Age laid its infirmity gently across her hands” treats bodily weakness with tenderness rather than ridicule; A poet can use “the infirmity of language” to suggest that words fail before intense experience; “His infirmity became a slow clock in the hall” connects physical limitation with altered time; “The kingdom’s infirmity showed in its cracked bridges and hungry children” extends the term from a body to a failing society
Additional Notes
A broad term for weakness or chronic frailty; use it when vulnerability matters more than a precise diagnosis.
Other Meanings of “Infirmity”
Also Known As
Ailment Illness Weakness
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