JAMB English Language 2021 Past Questions & Answers

Everyone is tired or fatigued at some time. The major cycle in your life is work, fatigue and rest in that order. Fatigue is characteristic of your body. It does not occur in a man-made machine which operates as long as its parts are intact and it has fuel. But your body, a living machine, has a definite limitation - its work continues, it gradually loses its responsiveness, becomes less irritable, turns out less work and finally may not respond at all. The feeling of fatigue usually expresses itself in three ways: first, there is a feeling of tiredness and a marked desire for rest. Second, efficiency is greatly reduced. Third, there may be definite physiological changes in your body, low blood pressure, loss of muscle tone, tremors, and poor muscular coordination, and in other ways. Fatigue, however, may express itself in many ways for there are many different forms of it. The fatigue of a student. for example, who has worked all evening on a difficult lesson, is different from that of a labourer who has worked all day at a back- breaking task, or that of a business executive who worries with the stress and strain of organisation.

This question requires you to find the main idea of the entire passage and choose the title that best represents it. The passage defines fatigue, explains its effects, and describes its different forms, making 'Fatigue' the central subject from beginning to end. Therefore, it is the most suitable title.

Common mistake: Students might wrongly choose 'Tiredness and fatigue' because both words are mentioned, but the passage presents tiredness as just one symptom of the main topic, which is fatigue.

Everyone is tired or fatigued at some time. The major cycle in your life is work, fatigue and rest in that order. Fatigue is characteristic of your body. It does not occur in a man-made machine which operates as long as its parts are intact and it has fuel. But your body, a living machine, has a definite limitation - its work continues, it gradually loses its responsiveness, becomes less irritable, turns out less work and finally may not respond at all. The feeling of fatigue usually expresses itself in three ways: first, there is a feeling of tiredness and a marked desire for rest. Second, efficiency is greatly reduced. Third, there may be definite physiological changes in your body, low blood pressure, loss of muscle tone, tremors, and poor muscular coordination, and in other ways. Fatigue, however, may express itself in many ways for there are many different forms of it. The fatigue of a student. for example, who has worked all evening on a difficult lesson, is different from that of a labourer who has worked all day at a back- breaking task, or that of a business executive who worries with the stress and strain of organisation.

The passage lists the effects of fatigue in order of increasing seriousness, starting with feeling tired, then reduced efficiency, and finally 'definite physiological changes'. 'Poor muscular coordination' is an example of these serious physical changes, which the passage presents as the final stage before the body may not respond at all. This makes it the worst stage mentioned.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose 'feeling of tiredness' because it is the first and most common symptom mentioned, without noticing that the passage describes a progression to more severe physiological effects.

Everyone is tired or fatigued at some time. The major cycle in your life is work, fatigue and rest in that order. Fatigue is characteristic of your body. It does not occur in a man-made machine which operates as long as its parts are intact and it has fuel. But your body, a living machine, has a definite limitation - its work continues, it gradually loses its responsiveness, becomes less irritable, turns out less work and finally may not respond at all. The feeling of fatigue usually expresses itself in three ways: first, there is a feeling of tiredness and a marked desire for rest. Second, efficiency is greatly reduced. Third, there may be definite physiological changes in your body, low blood pressure, loss of muscle tone, tremors, and poor muscular coordination, and in other ways. Fatigue, however, may express itself in many ways for there are many different forms of it. The fatigue of a student. for example, who has worked all evening on a difficult lesson, is different from that of a labourer who has worked all day at a back- breaking task, or that of a business executive who worries with the stress and strain of organisation.

The question asks you to draw a conclusion from the passage. The passage states that 'Everyone is tired or fatigued at some time' and gives examples of a student, a labourer, and a business executive to show that different types of work lead to fatigue. This supports the general idea that any task, if continued, can eventually make a person tired.

Common mistake: Students may wrongly choose option B because the passage mentions a student's fatigue, but this is just one example and not the only cause of fatigue.

Everyone is tired or fatigued at some time. The major cycle in your life is work, fatigue and rest in that order. Fatigue is characteristic of your body. It does not occur in a man-made machine which operates as long as its parts are intact and it has fuel. But your body, a living machine, has a definite limitation - its work continues, it gradually loses its responsiveness, becomes less irritable, turns out less work and finally may not respond at all. The feeling of fatigue usually expresses itself in three ways: first, there is a feeling of tiredness and a marked desire for rest. Second, efficiency is greatly reduced. Third, there may be definite physiological changes in your body, low blood pressure, loss of muscle tone, tremors, and poor muscular coordination, and in other ways. Fatigue, however, may express itself in many ways for there are many different forms of it. The fatigue of a student. for example, who has worked all evening on a difficult lesson, is different from that of a labourer who has worked all day at a back- breaking task, or that of a business executive who worries with the stress and strain of organisation.

The question asks for the right time to rest based on the information in the passage. The passage clearly states that the first way fatigue shows itself is through 'a feeling of tiredness and a marked desire for rest.' This directly supports option A, making it the correct answer as it is the earliest signal for rest mentioned.

Common mistake: Students might wrongly choose option C because physiological changes are also mentioned in the passage, but the text presents this as a later and more severe sign of fatigue, not the first one.

Everyone is tired or fatigued at some time. The major cycle in your life is work, fatigue and rest in that order. Fatigue is characteristic of your body. It does not occur in a man-made machine which operates as long as its parts are intact and it has fuel. But your body, a living machine, has a definite limitation - its work continues, it gradually loses its responsiveness, becomes less irritable, turns out less work and finally may not respond at all. The feeling of fatigue usually expresses itself in three ways: first, there is a feeling of tiredness and a marked desire for rest. Second, efficiency is greatly reduced. Third, there may be definite physiological changes in your body, low blood pressure, loss of muscle tone, tremors, and poor muscular coordination, and in other ways. Fatigue, however, may express itself in many ways for there are many different forms of it. The fatigue of a student. for example, who has worked all evening on a difficult lesson, is different from that of a labourer who has worked all day at a back- breaking task, or that of a business executive who worries with the stress and strain of organisation.

The question asks for the meaning of a phrase found directly within the reading passage. The passage contrasts the human body with a man-made machine, stating that a machine can work continuously while the body has a 'definite limitation'. This limitation is explained as the body getting tired and needing rest, which means it cannot work continuously like a machine.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D because the passage compares the body to a machine, but they fail to notice the comparison is used to highlight a key difference, not an equality.

It is normal in Nigeria to use proficiency in the use of English language as a barometer for evaluating the height of any person's educational attainment. Today, many teachers resort quite often to the use of vernacular in the teaching of their subjects. One is often dismayed at the incompetence of many teachers, even graduates in the use of English language. Throughout the colonial period, up to 1960, Nigerian formal education was patterned after the English system. The "accent" was on English and an educated Nigerian was one who was only African in colour but English in thought and culture. The ability to speak English fluently and if possible with an Oxford accent was the hallmark of excellence even if the speaker was empty of thought and ideas. In those days it was a serious offence for a secondary school boy or girl to "laugh in the vernacular". But we now swung to the other extreme. Nigeria would say they are not English people, some would say they did not specialise in English in the university. But the country has adopted the English language as its official, the language of instruction at schools, parliamentary proceedings, conduct of official business and indeed the lingua franca. If the language is to continue to be used, then it is imperative that we all agree on the pattern of correctness in the language so that communication can be effective.

This question requires you to identify the statement that is not supported by the information in the passage. The correct answer is C because the writer is actually against the use of vernacular (indigenous languages) for teaching. The passage complains about the falling standard of English and argues that since it is the official language, it should be used correctly for effective communication, not replaced.

Common mistake: A common mistake is to misread the question and choose an option that is true, like option D, because the passage clearly states that English is the official language in Nigeria.

It is normal in Nigeria to use proficiency in the use of English language as a barometer for evaluating the height of any person's educational attainment. Today, many teachers resort quite often to the use of vernacular in the teaching of their subjects. One is often dismayed at the incompetence of many teachers, even graduates in the use of English language. Throughout the colonial period, up to 1960, Nigerian formal education was patterned after the English system. The "accent" was on English and an educated Nigerian was one who was only African in colour but English in thought and culture. The ability to speak English fluently and if possible with an Oxford accent was the hallmark of excellence even if the speaker was empty of thought and ideas. In those days it was a serious offence for a secondary school boy or girl to "laugh in the vernacular". But we now swung to the other extreme. Nigeria would say they are not English people, some would say they did not specialise in English in the university. But the country has adopted the English language as its official, the language of instruction at schools, parliamentary proceedings, conduct of official business and indeed the lingua franca. If the language is to continue to be used, then it is imperative that we all agree on the pattern of correctness in the language so that communication can be effective.

The question requires you to identify the description of an educated Nigerian during the colonial era as stated in the passage. The passage explicitly says that 'an educated Nigerian was one who was only African in colour but English in thought and culture.' Option B is the correct answer because it directly restates this key information from the text.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option D because the passage mentions an 'Oxford accent' was a 'hallmark of excellence,' but this was a sign of excellence, not the core definition of being educated.

It is normal in Nigeria to use proficiency in the use of English language as a barometer for evaluating the height of any person's educational attainment. Today, many teachers resort quite often to the use of vernacular in the teaching of their subjects. One is often dismayed at the incompetence of many teachers, even graduates in the use of English language. Throughout the colonial period, up to 1960, Nigerian formal education was patterned after the English system. The "accent" was on English and an educated Nigerian was one who was only African in colour but English in thought and culture. The ability to speak English fluently and if possible with an Oxford accent was the hallmark of excellence even if the speaker was empty of thought and ideas. In those days it was a serious offence for a secondary school boy or girl to "laugh in the vernacular". But we now swung to the other extreme. Nigeria would say they are not English people, some would say they did not specialise in English in the university. But the country has adopted the English language as its official, the language of instruction at schools, parliamentary proceedings, conduct of official business and indeed the lingua franca. If the language is to continue to be used, then it is imperative that we all agree on the pattern of correctness in the language so that communication can be effective.

This question tests your ability to identify the main conclusion of the passage. The last sentence clearly states, '...it is imperative that we all agree on the pattern of correctness in the language so that communication can be effective.' Option A is a direct summary of this concluding point, making it the correct answer derived from the text.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose option B because the passage mentions that a fluent speaker could be 'empty of thought and ideas', but it does not say that fluency is the cause of empty thoughts.

It is normal in Nigeria to use proficiency in the use of English language as a barometer for evaluating the height of any person's educational attainment. Today, many teachers resort quite often to the use of vernacular in the teaching of their subjects. One is often dismayed at the incompetence of many teachers, even graduates in the use of English language. Throughout the colonial period, up to 1960, Nigerian formal education was patterned after the English system. The "accent" was on English and an educated Nigerian was one who was only African in colour but English in thought and culture. The ability to speak English fluently and if possible with an Oxford accent was the hallmark of excellence even if the speaker was empty of thought and ideas. In those days it was a serious offence for a secondary school boy or girl to "laugh in the vernacular". But we now swung to the other extreme. Nigeria would say they are not English people, some would say they did not specialise in English in the university. But the country has adopted the English language as its official, the language of instruction at schools, parliamentary proceedings, conduct of official business and indeed the lingua franca. If the language is to continue to be used, then it is imperative that we all agree on the pattern of correctness in the language so that communication can be effective.

The question requires you to understand the author's point of view from the passage. The author describes the old colonial practice of punishing students for speaking their local language and then states, 'But we now swung to the other extreme.' By calling the current situation the 'other extreme,' the author shows that the old practice was also an extreme position, just in the opposite direction.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'correctness' because the passage discusses the need for correct English, but they fail to understand that punishing someone for speaking their native language is an extreme cultural action, not a way to teach correctness.

The head of the 11 is called the queen bee. She is 12 than the rest of the bees. Her main task in the colony is to lay eggs. Most of the other bees are the 13 bees. These bees collect nectar and 14 from flowers. The nectar that is carried by the worker bees is deposited on the hive and then 15 into honey. The worker bees also help to look after the young bees. As soon as they are 16, the worker bees feed the young bees with pollen and nectar. The third type of bee found in the colony is the 17 or male bee. The main task of such a bee is to 18 with a new queen. The queen bee has a life span of about three years. During this period, she would have 19 more than half a million eggs. When the queen bee is dying, a new queen would be groomed. This new queen will eventually take over the duties of the old queen when the 20 dies.

This question tests your ability to choose the most appropriate word for a specific context, which is a key part of vocabulary. While all the options are related to places where living things are found, the correct technical term for a community of insects like bees living and working together is a 'colony'. The passage describes the social structure of the bees with a queen, making 'colony' the most precise and fitting word.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'habitat' because it refers to an animal's natural home, but 'colony' specifically describes the social group of bees itself, which is the focus of the sentence.

The head of the 11 is called the queen bee. She is 12 than the rest of the bees. Her main task in the colony is to lay eggs. Most of the other bees are the 13 bees. These bees collect nectar and 14 from flowers. The nectar that is carried by the worker bees is deposited on the hive and then 15 into honey. The worker bees also help to look after the young bees. As soon as they are 16, the worker bees feed the young bees with pollen and nectar. The third type of bee found in the colony is the 17 or male bee. The main task of such a bee is to 18 with a new queen. The queen bee has a life span of about three years. During this period, she would have 19 more than half a million eggs. When the queen bee is dying, a new queen would be groomed. This new queen will eventually take over the duties of the old queen when the 20 dies.

This question is a cloze test, which requires you to choose the best word to fill a gap. The sentence is comparing the queen bee to other bees, which is indicated by the word 'than'. Therefore, you need a comparative adjective, and 'larger' is the correct comparative form of 'large' that fits the context of describing the queen bee's physical size.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'enormous' because it also relates to size, but it is not a comparative adjective and cannot be used grammatically with 'than' in this structure.

The head of the 11 is called the queen bee. She is 12 than the rest of the bees. Her main task in the colony is to lay eggs. Most of the other bees are the 13 bees. These bees collect nectar and 14 from flowers. The nectar that is carried by the worker bees is deposited on the hive and then 15 into honey. The worker bees also help to look after the young bees. As soon as they are 16, the worker bees feed the young bees with pollen and nectar. The third type of bee found in the colony is the 17 or male bee. The main task of such a bee is to 18 with a new queen. The queen bee has a life span of about three years. During this period, she would have 19 more than half a million eggs. When the queen bee is dying, a new queen would be groomed. This new queen will eventually take over the duties of the old queen when the 20 dies.

The question requires you to choose the most appropriate word to fill the gap in the context of a cloze passage about bees. The correct option is 'worker' because 'worker bee' is the specific, correct term for this type of bee. In the phrase 'the worker bees', the word 'worker' functions as a noun adjunct, which is like an adjective describing the noun 'bees', so it must be in its singular form.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'workers' because the sentence refers to many bees, but they forget that when a noun is used to describe another noun (like 'worker' describing 'bees'), it usually stays in the singular form.

The head of the 11 is called the queen bee. She is 12 than the rest of the bees. Her main task in the colony is to lay eggs. Most of the other bees are the 13 bees. These bees collect nectar and 14 from flowers. The nectar that is carried by the worker bees is deposited on the hive and then 15 into honey. The worker bees also help to look after the young bees. As soon as they are 16, the worker bees feed the young bees with pollen and nectar. The third type of bee found in the colony is the 17 or male bee. The main task of such a bee is to 18 with a new queen. The queen bee has a life span of about three years. During this period, she would have 19 more than half a million eggs. When the queen bee is dying, a new queen would be groomed. This new queen will eventually take over the duties of the old queen when the 20 dies.

This question is a cloze test, which requires you to choose the best word to fill a gap in a passage. The sentence describes what worker bees collect from flowers besides nectar. Based on biological knowledge, which is the context of the passage, bees collect pollen from flowers as a source of protein, so 'pollen' is the most appropriate word to complete the sentence.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'seed' because flowers eventually produce seeds, but they must remember that it is pollen that bees actively collect from the flower itself during pollination.

The head of the 11 is called the queen bee. She is 12 than the rest of the bees. Her main task in the colony is to lay eggs. Most of the other bees are the 13 bees. These bees collect nectar and 14 from flowers. The nectar that is carried by the worker bees is deposited on the hive and then 15 into honey. The worker bees also help to look after the young bees. As soon as they are 16, the worker bees feed the young bees with pollen and nectar. The third type of bee found in the colony is the 17 or male bee. The main task of such a bee is to 18 with a new queen. The queen bee has a life span of about three years. During this period, she would have 19 more than half a million eggs. When the queen bee is dying, a new queen would be groomed. This new queen will eventually take over the duties of the old queen when the 20 dies.

The correct option is 'converted' because it means to change something from one form into another. The passage describes the process where nectar is changed into a new substance, which is honey. Therefore, the nectar is 'converted' into honey by the bees.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'refined' because it sounds like a process of making something purer, but 'converted' is more accurate as it describes a complete change from one substance to another.

The head of the 11 is called the queen bee. She is 12 than the rest of the bees. Her main task in the colony is to lay eggs. Most of the other bees are the 13 bees. These bees collect nectar and 14 from flowers. The nectar that is carried by the worker bees is deposited on the hive and then 15 into honey. The worker bees also help to look after the young bees. As soon as they are 16, the worker bees feed the young bees with pollen and nectar. The third type of bee found in the colony is the 17 or male bee. The main task of such a bee is to 18 with a new queen. The queen bee has a life span of about three years. During this period, she would have 19 more than half a million eggs. When the queen bee is dying, a new queen would be groomed. This new queen will eventually take over the duties of the old queen when the 20 dies.

This question tests your knowledge of the right word for the context, which is a passage about bees. Bees are insects that lay eggs. The word 'hatched' specifically means to emerge from an egg, making it the most precise and correct term to use for young bees. Other words like 'born' are more suitable for mammals that give live birth.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'born' because it is a general word for the beginning of life, but it is more accurately used for mammals, not insects that emerge from eggs.

The head of the 11 is called the queen bee. She is 12 than the rest of the bees. Her main task in the colony is to lay eggs. Most of the other bees are the 13 bees. These bees collect nectar and 14 from flowers. The nectar that is carried by the worker bees is deposited on the hive and then 15 into honey. The worker bees also help to look after the young bees. As soon as they are 16, the worker bees feed the young bees with pollen and nectar. The third type of bee found in the colony is the 17 or male bee. The main task of such a bee is to 18 with a new queen. The queen bee has a life span of about three years. During this period, she would have 19 more than half a million eggs. When the queen bee is dying, a new queen would be groomed. This new queen will eventually take over the duties of the old queen when the 20 dies.

The passage requires the specific name for the third type of bee, which is identified as the 'male bee' immediately after the gap. The correct biological term for a male bee is a 'drone'. This question tests your vocabulary knowledge related to the topic of bees, making 'drone' the only suitable option to fill the gap correctly.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'leader' or 'chief' by thinking about the colony's hierarchy in relation to the 'queen bee', but these are general terms and not the specific name for a male bee.

The head of the 11 is called the queen bee. She is 12 than the rest of the bees. Her main task in the colony is to lay eggs. Most of the other bees are the 13 bees. These bees collect nectar and 14 from flowers. The nectar that is carried by the worker bees is deposited on the hive and then 15 into honey. The worker bees also help to look after the young bees. As soon as they are 16, the worker bees feed the young bees with pollen and nectar. The third type of bee found in the colony is the 17 or male bee. The main task of such a bee is to 18 with a new queen. The queen bee has a life span of about three years. During this period, she would have 19 more than half a million eggs. When the queen bee is dying, a new queen would be groomed. This new queen will eventually take over the duties of the old queen when the 20 dies.

This question tests your ability to choose the most suitable word based on the context of the passage. The passage describes the roles of bees in a colony, and gap 18 needs a word for the main task of the drone (male bee) with the queen. The word 'mate' means to join together to reproduce, which is the correct biological function in this scientific context.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'romance' because it relates to male-female relationships, but this word is too informal and human-like for the scientific context of the passage.

The head of the 11 is called the queen bee. She is 12 than the rest of the bees. Her main task in the colony is to lay eggs. Most of the other bees are the 13 bees. These bees collect nectar and 14 from flowers. The nectar that is carried by the worker bees is deposited on the hive and then 15 into honey. The worker bees also help to look after the young bees. As soon as they are 16, the worker bees feed the young bees with pollen and nectar. The third type of bee found in the colony is the 17 or male bee. The main task of such a bee is to 18 with a new queen. The queen bee has a life span of about three years. During this period, she would have 19 more than half a million eggs. When the queen bee is dying, a new queen would be groomed. This new queen will eventually take over the duties of the old queen when the 20 dies.

The correct option is 'laid' because this is the specific verb used when an animal, bird, or insect produces eggs. In English, we say a hen 'lays' an egg, and similarly, a queen bee 'lays' eggs. This question tests your knowledge of the correct word (collocation) to use in the context of reproduction in bees.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'produced' because it generally means 'to make', but 'laid' is the specific and correct English verb that collocates with 'eggs'.

The head of the 11 is called the queen bee. She is 12 than the rest of the bees. Her main task in the colony is to lay eggs. Most of the other bees are the 13 bees. These bees collect nectar and 14 from flowers. The nectar that is carried by the worker bees is deposited on the hive and then 15 into honey. The worker bees also help to look after the young bees. As soon as they are 16, the worker bees feed the young bees with pollen and nectar. The third type of bee found in the colony is the 17 or male bee. The main task of such a bee is to 18 with a new queen. The queen bee has a life span of about three years. During this period, she would have 19 more than half a million eggs. When the queen bee is dying, a new queen would be groomed. This new queen will eventually take over the duties of the old queen when the 20 dies.

This question tests your understanding of the words 'former' and 'latter'. When two things are mentioned in a sentence, 'former' refers to the first one and 'latter' refers to the second. The sentence mentions 'This new queen' (the first) and 'the old queen' (the second). Since the old queen is the one that dies to be replaced, and she is the second one mentioned, the correct word is 'latter'.

Common mistake: Students often mistakenly choose 'former' because they associate it with 'old', but the correct choice depends on the order the queens are mentioned in the sentence, not just their age.

The phrase 'iron fist' is an idiom, which means its definition is not based on the literal meaning of the words. It is used to describe a style of leadership that is very strict, harsh, and controlling. Therefore, a leader who rules with an 'iron fist' is one who is 'severe in treatment' towards people.

Common mistake: Students often choose option A or D because they interpret the phrase literally, focusing on the word 'iron' instead of understanding its special idiomatic meaning.

The question requires you to find the word that best replaces 'relaxed' in the given sentence. In this context, when an emphasis, rule, or standard is 'relaxed', it means it has become less strict, less firm, or less strong. The word 'weakened' accurately describes this decrease in strength or intensity, making it the nearest in meaning.

Common mistake: Students may wrongly choose 'outdated' because they think that if the emphasis is relaxed, it must be old-fashioned, but 'relaxed' describes the state of the emphasis itself (less strong), not the reason for it.

The question asks for the word that is nearest in meaning to the underlined word 'private'. In the context of the sentence, a 'private concern' means an issue that belongs to or affects an individual, not for everyone to know. The word 'personal' also means relating to one particular person, making it the best synonym for 'private'.

Common mistake: Students may mistakenly choose 'public' because it is the direct opposite (antonym) of 'private', but the instruction asks for the nearest meaning (synonym).

The question asks for the word nearest in meaning to 'preliminary'. The word 'preliminary' describes something that happens at the beginning, before the main event. In the context of a competition, the preliminary stage is the first or opening round. The word 'initial' also means existing or occurring at the beginning, making it the best synonym for 'preliminary' in this sentence.

Common mistake: Students might mistakenly choose 'selection' because the preliminary stage is part of the selection process, but 'selection' refers to the entire process of choosing, not the specific initial stage itself.

The question requires you to find the word closest in meaning to 'pilfering'. To pilfer means to steal things, especially items of little value, often repeatedly. Among the choices, 'stealing' is the direct synonym and the correct answer, as it accurately describes the action of taking something that does not belong to you.

Common mistake: A common mistake is choosing 'mismanagement' because it is also a serious offense in an office, but 'pilfering' specifically refers to the act of stealing, not general poor administration.

The question requires you to find the word that is closest in meaning to 'meekness'. Meekness refers to the quality of being quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on. Among the given options, 'gentleness' is the most suitable synonym because it directly relates to the calm and mild nature implied by meekness.

Common mistake: Many students mistakenly choose 'weakness' because the context 'took advantage of her' suggests a lack of strength, but meekness is a personality trait of being gentle, not necessarily a flaw like weakness.