flaw

¹

[flaw]

noun

1. a feature that mars the perfection of something; defect; fault.

   beauty without flaw; the flaws in our plan.

   Synonyms: spot, blot, imperfection

2. a defect impairing legal soundness or validity.

3. a crack, break, breach, or rent.

   Synonyms: rift, fissure

verb (used with object)

1. to produce a flaw in.

verb (used without object)

1. to contract a flaw; become cracked or defective.

flaw

²

[flaw]

noun

1. Also called windflaw. a sudden, usually brief windstorm or gust of wind.

2. a short spell of rough weather.

3. Obsolete.,  a burst of feeling, fury, etc.

flaw

¹

/ flɔː /

noun

1. an imperfection, defect, or blemish

2. a crack, breach, or rift

3. law an invalidating fault or defect in a document or proceeding

verb

1. to make or become blemished, defective, or imperfect

flaw

²

/ flɔː /

noun

1. 1. a sudden short gust of wind; squall

   2. a spell of bad, esp windy, weather

2. obsolete,  an outburst of strong feeling

Other Word Forms

• flawless adjective
• flawy adjective
• flawlessness noun
• flawlessly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of flaw¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English flage, flaw(e), perhaps from Old Norse flaga “sliver, flake”

Origin of flaw²

First recorded in 1475–85, flaw is from the Old Norse word flaga attack, squall

Word History and Origins

Origin of flaw¹

C14: probably from Old Norse flaga stone slab; related to Swedish flaga chip, flake, flaw

Origin of flaw²

C16: of Scandinavian origin; related to Norwegian flaga squall, gust, Middle Dutch vlāghe

Synonym Study

See defect.

Example Sentences

Others noted flaws in his play, including a penchant for holding on to the ball too long and taking too many sacks.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“I want to know them as people. I want to be true to them as people. And I think almost everybody in the picture is flawed.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The act's fatal flaw was a conditional immunity clause - later ruled unlawful - which could have been used by ex-soldiers, or former paramilitaries.

Read more on BBC

There are "major flaws" in the US plan under discussion Sunday to end the war in Ukraine, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store told AFP in South Africa.

Read more on Barron's

The hustle rests on one basic flaw in the current approach: Providing AI services costs more than customers pay, so the more customers companies attract, the more they lose.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• blemish 
• bug 
• defect 
• failing 
• fault 
• foible 
• glitch 
• pitfall 
• weakness