weakness
Americannoun
-
the state or quality of being weak; lack of strength, firmness, vigor, or the like; feebleness.
- Synonyms:
- fragility
- Antonyms:
- strength
-
an inadequate or defective quality, as in a person's character; slight fault or defect.
to show great sympathy for human weaknesses.
- Synonyms:
- flaw
-
a self-indulgent liking or special fondness, as for a particular thing.
I've always had a weakness for the opera.
-
an object of special desire; something very difficult to resist.
Chocolates were her weakness.
noun
-
the state or quality of being weak
-
a deficiency or failing, as in a person's character
-
a self-indulgent fondness or liking
a weakness for chocolates
Synonym Usage
See fault.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of weakness
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English waikenes, weikenes. See weak, -ness
Explanation
The point where something fails to work properly or to hold up is its weakness. If a building crumbles in a storm, it's probably because of a weakness — a flaw or defect — in its structure. Weakness can indicate a physical weakness, like a chair with one wobbly leg, or flaw in an idea, like a plan for a lemonade stand that doesn't include any cups for serving the lemonade. People can show weakness too, when they are helpless to take action. The origin of weakness can be traced all the way back to its Proto-Indo-European root of weik, "to bend."
Vocabulary lists containing weakness
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -ness
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Unit 1, Week 4
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The Suffix -ness, Part 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The buzz in Beirut of Israeli drones overhead, along with the constant din of poorly regulated diesel generators, underscores the government’s weakness.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
One additional factor upsetting investors of late has been the continual weakness of the Korean currency USDKRW.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026
He added that today’s rebound is “a sign investors viewed last week’s weakness as a reset in crowded trades rather than the start of a broader risk-off move.”
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Such weakness would also hurt the U.S. in nuclear talks.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
He felt strange carrying his fatal weakness so openly, after months of keeping it hidden.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
