weak moment

weak moment

A moment when one fails to have the discipline to act according to one's principles or better judgment and instead does something regrettable. I admit that, in a weak moment, I accepted a bribe to allow development to proceed without proper safety measures in place. I'm so sorry I cheated on you. It was a weak moment, and I'm ashamed of what I did.
See also: moment, weak
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

a weak ˈmoment

,

a moment of ˈweakness

a time when you do or agree to something you would not normally do: In a weak moment I agreed to let them stay at our house, but later I wished I hadn’t. I was on a very strict diet but in a moment of weakness I ate a cream cake.
See also: moment, weak
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • a weak moment
  • moment of weakness
  • weak moment, in a
  • in a moment of weakness
  • in a weak moment
  • be remembered as (something)
  • be remembered as/for something
  • be replaced by (someone or something)
  • be replaced with (someone or something)
  • (one's) old man
References in classic literature
After hearing this caricature of Clare's opinion poor Tess was glad that she had not said a word in a weak moment about her family--even though it was so unusually old almost to have gone round the circle and become a new one.
There seemed to be a desire for something frolicksome to follow upon this conversation, and in a weak moment I suggested that George should get out his banjo, and see if he could not give us a comic song.
Poverty and labour bore hard upon him, especially as county officers were getting troublesome, and in a weak moment he did the wicked act; but he has listened to my words, and his mind has got round again into its honest corner.
True to her creed, she did not attempt to interfere, although there were enough of those weak moments of depression to make it perfectly easy for a less scrupulous person to press through and know all, and perhaps Rachel was sorry that she did not choose.
Prayers have been answered." Asked about that, Miller said it was a "weak moment" and said he was probably spending too much time on his combine.
A second European official described her as being in a "very weak moment", struggling to control her party and with much scrutiny of her health after suffering two episodes of shaking in public.
Keeagile Kobe caught Galaxy on a weak moment and pulled one from behind but it turned out to be too late for his youthful side.
They just realised she is at a weak moment so, 'Let's go all out about it'.
It's the first item of clothing he's ever asked for, and he got me at a weak moment, ie all of them when it comes to him.
"I think he was caught at a weak moment. That is the impression I get.
Newcastle had their chances to take the lead before crumbling in a weak moment in which DeAndre Yedlin's unnecessary handball allowed Jamie Vardy to slot home the opener.
"They speak on the phone all the time and, particularly when he's having a weak moment, Ant knows Lisa is there to get him through.
It was a decision taken at a time of distress, during a weak moment; The very next day I had realised that ideologically, I was a misfit there (BJP)," Lovely said.
"The first is if you have a weak moment remind yourself why it didn't work out.
"I'd separated from my partner of 20 years, been in a car crash, lost my home and my dog had died, so I was vulnerable and they got me at a weak moment," he says.