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the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak

the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak proverb: synonym of the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.

Proverb

the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak

  1. Synonym of the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
    • It should be the peculiar pleasure of each district to attend to its own battle-fields, jealous of any outside aid, other than by voluntary contributions. But if there is not enough patriotism for this in the districts—if the Whig blood has been cooled by amalgamation, or though it still may run...1858 September 11, the Lancaster Ledger, quotee, “The Battle-Fields of Our State”, in Rob[er]t A. Thompson, editor, Keowee Courier, volume X, number 8, Pickens, S.C., →ISSN, →OCLC, page [3], column 1
    • He made a good monk, however. Not that he is perfect. Of course, he would never go near a woman, but then, you know. . . . Oh, well, what can one do? The spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak.1929 September, Gleb Botkin, chapter 16, in The God Who Didn’t Laugh, New York, N.Y.: Payson & Clarke Ltd, →OCLC, pages 92–93
    Synonyms:
    the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

Synonyms of the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak

Forms of the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak

alternative formthe spirit is strong but the flesh is weak

Origin of the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak

Alteration of the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak with strong by analogy with weak.

Questions about the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak

What does the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak mean?
The spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak means synonym of the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
What part of speech is the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak?
The spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak is a proverb.

Words near the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak in the dictionary

  1. the sky's the limit
  2. The Sleepless
  3. The Slopes
  4. the snot out of
  5. the spirit is strong but the flesh is weak
  6. the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak
  7. the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak
  8. the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak
  9. the spirit moves someone
  10. the spoils belong to the victor
  11. the squeaky wheel gets the grease

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: the spirit is strong, but the flesh is weak (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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