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

She said the bill had "fundamental flaws" that could outweigh any potential benefits.

Read more on BBC

“We grow, have epiphanies, become better, understand our flaws”—a notion that expresses the sense of hopefulness reflected in Ms. King’s novels.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Top players soon pointed out wonky flaws, such as how the measure could inadvertently hurt lower ranked players.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Moreover, “Anemone” teasingly delves into a paternal legacy— the price sons pay for inheriting their fathers’ flaws—as it considers the moral thickets of Britain’s late-20th-century history.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

They too speak to the difficulty of rendering language in solid form, and we see flaws in each piece where the molds have degraded after repeated use.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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