weakness

American  

[week-nis] / ˈwik nɪs /

noun

• weaknesses
  plural

1. the state or quality of being weak; lack of strength, firmness, vigor, or the like; feebleness.

   Synonyms:

   fragility

   Antonyms:

   strength

2. an inadequate or defective quality, as in a person's character; slight fault or defect.

   to show great sympathy for human weaknesses.

   Synonyms:

   flaw

3. a self-indulgent liking or special fondness, as for a particular thing.

   I've always had a weakness for the opera.

   Synonyms:

   appetite, hunger, passion, penchant

4. an object of special desire; something very difficult to resist.

   Chocolates were her weakness.

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weakness British  

/ ˈwiːknɪs /

noun

1. the state or quality of being weak

2. a deficiency or failing, as in a person's character

3. a self-indulgent fondness or liking

   a weakness for chocolates

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weakness Idioms  

1. see have a weakness for.

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Synonym Usage

See fault.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonweakness
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• weaknesses
  plural

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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

weakness weaknesses

The 25-year-old said a key driver behind his exit was the structural weakness in the crypto market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026

SMA causes muscle weakness and gets progressively worse over time - there is no cure, but there are medicines and other treatments to manage the symptoms.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Still, many economists think the weakness is overstated.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

The world's largest economy lost 23,000 jobs in July, data published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed, signalling potential labor market weakness after months of steady growth.

From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026

The main weakness of the Pythagorean system is that a series of pure perfect fifths will never take you to a note that is a pure octave above the note you started on.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

Experts point to weak consumer demand linked to conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, but also blame structural weaknesses in the South Asian nation of 170 million people.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

It said Fifa's failure to consult its member associations on the proposals had "exposed fundamental weaknesses in Fifa's consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed".

From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026

The program “shows you your strengths and your weaknesses, and what you want to do to fix your weaknesses, to get strong, to get prepared for college,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Or it could be worry that comes from helping the children understand a plan designed to protect them from their weaknesses requires a discussion of those imperfections.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026

When you are circling your opponent, probing his strengths and weaknesses, you are not thinking about his color or social status.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• deficiency
• failing
• flaw
• fragility
• frailty
• gap
• instability
• lack
• lapse
• shortcoming
• vulnerability