hinken
Translation
to limp, to hobble, to lag behind, (of a comparison) to be flawed
Examples
Nach der Verletzung hinkt er ein wenig.
He limps a little after the injury.
Der Vergleich zwischen Äpfeln und Birnen hinkt.
The comparison between apples and oranges is flawed.
Grammar Patterns
(intransitive) to limp The soldier limped after the battle.
(figurative) to be flawed Your argumentation is flawed in several places.
Similar Words
Synonyms: humpeln; Antonyms (figurative): to be sound, to hold true (stimmen, zutreffen)
Etymology
From Old High German 'hinkan'. Possibly related to the English word 'hitch' in the sense of an uneven movement.
Memory Tips
Think of the sound someone makes when limping: 'hink, hink, hink'. Also used figuratively when a comparison 'limps' or is flawed.