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

Sathit, a shop-owner with more than 40 guns in his collection, cited the weakness of law enforcement in Thailand as his reason for arming himself.

From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026

That weakness led Iran to focus on the ballistic missile program it has used to pound U.S. bases and targets across the Gulf.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

Indeed, that might be a more troubling story: Economists say that weak crude demand could be a harbinger of economic weakness ahead.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026

According to Jason Goepfert, a veteran technical analyst, when 11 or more Omens occur during a three-month period, it has in the past been a reliable harbinger of weakness to come.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

At first, I push it away, telling myself that it’s just a moment of weakness, but then Asase’s words return to me.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

In fact, what the race revealed were the weaknesses and limitations of an ineffective candidate who would have almost certainly flamed out in the general election.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

But there is no guarantee that a vibrant riverfront will completely offset the city’s ongoing weaknesses, including an underfunded public school system and inadequate public transportation, that dissuade potential new residents.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

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

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

Kaede had the eerie suspicion that they were merely there to watch them, to assess their strengths and weaknesses.

From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo

Related Words

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