That it was a feeble attempt at gouging hardly amounts to mitigation.

It was unclear if this was intended as a joke, an insult or a feeble attempt at shock-rock provocation.

Although she scolds him and swears and throws stuff around, he gently deflects this feeble attempt to generate drama.

We inched forward in a feeble attempt to get them to move.

And the six-pack, once evidence of having luxurious amounts of time and money to devote to self-sculpture, now looks like a feeble attempt at control in an uncertain world.