WEAK VERB

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WEAK VERB. In the traditional description of Germanic languages, a VERB that indicates such meaning differences as tense through the addition of inflections: Modern English play, played. In contrast, STRONG VERBS modify their vowels: ring, rang, rung. The terms are usually replaced in grammars of Modern English by regular verbs (in place of weak verbs) and irregular verbs (in place of strong verbs).