flaw
1 Americannoun
-
a feature that mars the perfection of something; defect; fault.
beauty without flaw; the flaws in our plan.
- Synonyms:
- spot, blot, imperfection
-
a defect impairing legal soundness or validity.
-
a crack, break, breach, or rent.
verb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
noun
-
Also called windflaw. a sudden, usually brief windstorm or gust of wind.
-
a short spell of rough weather.
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Obsolete. a burst of feeling, fury, etc.
noun
-
an imperfection, defect, or blemish
-
a crack, breach, or rift
-
law an invalidating fault or defect in a document or proceeding
verb
noun
-
-
a sudden short gust of wind; squall
-
a spell of bad, esp windy, weather
-
-
obsolete an outburst of strong feeling
Related Words
See defect.
Other Word Forms
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.”
Vocabulary lists containing flaw
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
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"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 3
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 5
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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.
Appeared in the April 27, 2026, print edition as 'Security Flaw Left President Exposed To D.C.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026
Flaw: This study assumes that people go to the doctor whenever they have pain.
From New York Times • Dec. 13, 2017
Flaw or need isn't the same as want or desire.
From The Guardian • Mar. 15, 2013
I’m Bob Garfield with Mike Vuolo and today Episode No. 26 titled, “The Fawth Flaw, Part II,” wherein we continue our discussion of R-dropping and the New York accent.
From Slate • Jan. 31, 2013
While the lighting proceeded, Miss Flaw used to direct it from her seat, silently, by pointing out to Moxhay, who took no notice, what groups of candles he should light next.
From Father and Son: a study of two temperaments by Gosse, Edmund
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.
