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

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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.

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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

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verb

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

flaw ² British  

/ 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

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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

Explanation

A flaw can be a sign of weakness or defect. If you try to make wings and fly off the roof but wind up crashing in the gutter, there's a flaw in your plan. In the early 14th century, when the noun flaw was first recorded, it referred to a snowflake or spark of fire. That sense is now obsolete, and now we use flaw to describe shortcomings in either character or object. We all have flaws. It can also describe an intentional mark of imperfection. “You see,” said the dancer Martha Graham, “when weaving a blanket, an Indian woman leaves a flaw in the weaving of that blanket to let the soul out.”

Example Sentences

The Sparks allowed the most points against in the league in 88.2 in 2025, a flaw Ogwumike and Atkins along with a full season of Brink will help address.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

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

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

Daniel’s primary character flaw is that he’s gullible.

From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

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