Performance
Debile
"Weak" – an Italian expression marking, also found as debole.
What it means
Debile is an Italian expression marking meaning "weak". A historical music dictionary sums it up together with its equivalent variant: debile, debole (Italian), weak.
Other names
The two forms, debile and debole, are used interchangeably; which spelling appears in a given score generally depends on the period and origin of the edition rather than any difference in meaning.
Musical use
As a performance direction, debile calls for a subdued, faint quality that goes beyond a simple dynamic marking: it asks not just for quiet playing but for a deliberately drained, energyless tone, suited to moments of particular delicacy or exhaustion in the musical expression.