What does feeb mean?
Feeb is an informal, derogatory noun used to describe a person regarded as weak, ineffectual, or lacking in intelligence. It arose as a clipped form of 'feeble', and especially of the older term 'feeble-minded', which was once used as a clinical label before falling out of official use. Because of that history, calling someone a feeb carries a dismissive, contemptuous tone: it suggests both mental dullness and a lack of backbone, as in 'don't send him to negotiate — he's a feeb'. The word is chiefly found in British colloquial speech, though it is understood more widely, and it belongs firmly to casual registers rather than formal writing. Its brevity gives it punch, making it a handy insult in banter or criticism, but its condescension means it should be used — if at all — with an awareness that it demeans the person it describes.
nounAn informal, derogatory term for a weak, ineffectual, or stupid person. It originated as a clipping of 'feeble' or 'feeble-minded'.
- A person who is weak, ineffectual, or stupid (informal, derogatory).
"Don't ask him for advice — he's a complete feeb."
"The new intern turned out to be a hopeless feeb who couldn't even work the printer."
"Only a feeb would fall for a scam that obvious."
Regular plural; used when referring to multiple ineffectual people, usually in casual or mocking contexts.
"The committee is full of feebs who can't agree on anything."
It's the schoolyard insult that started life as shorthand for 'feeble-minded' — a whole put-down packed into four letters.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of feeb
Feeb is a shortened form of 'feeble', and particularly of 'feeble-minded', a phrase formerly used in medical and legal contexts for people of impaired intellect. The adjective 'feeble' itself entered Middle English from Old French 'feble', ultimately from Latin 'flebilis', meaning 'lamentable' and derived from 'flere', 'to weep'. The clipping likely emerged in colloquial British English, though the exact date of first use is uncertain.
How feeb is actually used
Informal and disparaging; it is insulting when applied to a person and is best avoided in formal writing. The term is more at home in British colloquial speech than American, though it is understood in both.
Easily confused with feeb
A 'fib' is a small, harmless lie, whereas a 'feeb' is a person regarded as weak-witted or ineffectual.