View synonyms for foible

foible

[ foi-buhl ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

a minor weakness or failing of character; slight flaw or defect:
an all-too-human foible.
Synonyms: peculiarity, eccentricity, crotchet, quirk, frailty
Antonyms: strength
the weaker part of a sword blade, between the middle and the point ( forte ).

foible

/ ˈfɔɪbəl /

a slight peculiarity or minor weakness; idiosyncrasy
See forte
the most vulnerable part of a sword's blade, from the middle to the tip Compare forte 1

Origin of foible¹

First recorded in 1640–50; from French, obsolete form of faible feeble

Origin of foible¹

C17: from obsolete French, from obsolete adj: feeble

His foible met the flash of the other man's forte, and his blade bounced aside like a sprung bow.

Il ne suffit pas de dire que l'esprit est foible, il faut lui faire sentir ses foiblesses.

Emancipation is all a delusion, a foible, a fantasy, an idle dream!

Judith consented to consult her; Mary soon found out the foible of the poor woman.

And now and then a human foible might be recorded by the stonemason without risk of undermining society's foundations.

April 18, 2024petrichor

[pet-ri-kawr]

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