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Synonyms

flaw

1 American  
[flaw] / flɔ /

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 American  
[flaw] / flɔ /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
flaw 2 British  
/ flɔː /

noun

    1. a sudden short gust of wind; squall

    2. a spell of bad, esp windy, weather

  2. obsolete an outburst of strong feeling

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See defect.

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

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

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.

As an example, it said Mythos found a previously unnoticed flaw in video software that had been tested more than 5 million times by its creators.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Although not perfect, the law’s expensing provisions fixed a major flaw in the U.S. tax code.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

Finally, plaintiffs articulated the flaw in social media correctly.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

The biggest flaw in the Hegelian viewpoint about supposedly great men is that his entire hypothesis about an unfolding historical process is flat wrong.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

His only flaw seems to be linked to being cheap, which really isn’t that bad of a thing.

From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King

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.