noun, na-adjective
incompetence; laziness; worthlessness; weakness
Colloquial term for a state of being useless, weak, or lacking ability; often self-deprecating or teasing.
あいつは本当にヘタレだな。
That guy is really useless.
ヘタレな自分が嫌になる。
I hate my worthless self.
noun
good-for-nothing; loser; weakling; wuss
Refers to a person who is incompetent, cowardly, or unreliable; often used as a mild insult or in jest.
彼はヘタレだから、大事なことは任せられない。
He's a loser, so I can't trust him with important things.
そんなことで怖がるなんて、お前はヘタレだな。
Being scared of something like that—you're such a wuss.
Derived from the verb へたる (to be exhausted, to lose strength), with the nominalizing suffix れ. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it likely originated as slang.