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Glite Dictionary
weaker vessel

weaker vessel

1 9.9
A person, often a woman, thought to be less strong in body or character, an old unfair idea
  • noun
  • Slur
translation icon : sexo débil
  • In some discussions, the term weaker vessel is used to describe traditional views of women's roles in society.
  • woman as a weaker vessel

Examples

  • The old stereotype that women are the weaker vessel has caused much harm over the years.

  • Why were women such weak vessels, so easily deceived?

    Fiction book (2001)

  • What in recent memory have they, as a religion, contributed to society other than hatred and murder, even their own daughters and wives, all in the name of their "honor"? My Holy Christian Bible says I "HONOR" my wife as the weaker vessel.

    Blog text (32)

  • She proved that she was not just the weaker vessel, but a strong and independent leader.

Synonyms

weakling
vsweaker vessel
  • Offensive
24 4.4

A person who has little body strength and gets tired easily

is broader and stresses moral fragility and social disapproval as well
weak sister
vsweaker vessel
  • Offensive
1 9.0

A person who others in a group see as the least able or not brave

is a general disapproving label for someone seen fragile physically or morally

How Weak

weaker vessel
  • Slur
1 9.9
weak
524 1.0

Surface Forms

weaker vessel singular
weaker vessels plural

Morphology

weak + vessel

The core idea of fragility is derivable because 'weak' conveys lack of strength and 'vessel' can be read metaphorically as a person or body, so a learner might infer 'a weak person.' However, 'vessel' as a figurative term for a person is literary/less frequent and the historical, gendered nuance (often referring specifically to women) is not predictable from the literal constituents, so full meaning requires cultural or historical knowledge.

Etymology

Weaker vessel comes from old Bible language where vessel means a container and weaker shows it was seen as more fragile, like a thin jar compared to a strong one. That's why the phrase meant 'less strong' and today is seen as 'outdated' and often 'insulting'.