flaw

[ flaw ]

/ flɔ /

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See synonyms for: flaw / flawed / flawing / flaws on Thesaurus.com

noun

a feature that mars the perfection of something; defect; fault: beauty without flaw; the flaws in our plan.

a defect impairing legal soundness or validity.

a crack, break, breach, or rent.

verb (used with object)

to produce a flaw in.

verb (used without object)

to contract a flaw; become cracked or defective.

OTHER WORDS FOR flaw

1 imperfection, blot, spot.

3 fissure, rift.

See synonyms for flaw on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of flaw

1275–1325; Middle English flaw(e), flage, perhaps <Old Norse flaga sliver, flake

synonym study for flaw

1. See defect.

OTHER WORDS FROM flaw

flawless, adjective

Words nearby flaw

flavory, flavour, flavour enhancer, flavourful, flavouring, flaw, flawed, flawless, flax, flaxen, flax kit

Other definitions for flaw (2 of 2)

flaw²

[ flaw ]

/ flɔ /

noun

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

a short spell of rough weather.

Obsolete. a burst of feeling, fury, etc.

Origin of flaw

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

OTHER WORDS FROM flaw

flawy, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use flaw in a sentence

An investigation by ProPublica and the Bay City News Foundation discovered flaws in the State Personnel Board investigation that led to her dismissal.
Utility Companies Owe Millions to This State Regulatory Agency. The Problem? The Agency Can’t Track What It’s Owed.|by Scott Morris, Bay City News Foundation|February 10, 2021|ProPublica
That means the bill has to be taken seriously even if it has flaws, says Berin Szoka, the founder and president of the thinktank TechFreedom.
How a Democratic plan to reform Section 230 could backfire|Bobbie Johnson|February 8, 2021|MIT Technology Review
The platform isn’t without its flaws and Smalls understands that, said executive creative director Veronica del Rosario.
Another DTC brand diversifies media strategy amid ‘looming fear of being solely dependent on Facebook’|Kimeko McCoy|February 4, 2021|Digiday
Diamonds are made by Mother Nature, of course, so internal flaws are common, but many are too small to be seen by the naked eye.
Hints From Heloise: Before buying a diamond, learn about the four C’s|Heloise Heloise|February 4, 2021|Washington Post

The hackers were hunting for, and finding, previously unknown flaws, known as zero-day vulnerabilities.
Google says it’s too easy for hackers to find new security flaws|Bobbie Johnson|February 3, 2021|MIT Technology Review
An F-35 was destroyed on takeoff earlier in the year when a design flaw in its Pratt & Whitney F135 engine sparked a fire.
New U.S. Stealth Jet Can’t Fire Its Gun Until 2019|Dave Majumdar|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rather than a flaw that heightens her appeal, it is a flaw that makes her difficult to forgive.
The Feminist Aesthetic of ‘Happy Valley’: A Refusal to Eroticize Violence Against Women|Batya Ungar-Sargon|August 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the logic of the anti-interventionist left is built today around the same moral flaw that it was during the Cold War.
Why Liberals Should Back Iraq Intervention|Michael Tomasky|August 11, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But the most glaring flaw is the decline in female directors.
A 200-Hour ‘Simpsons’ Marathon? That’s Unpossible!|Rich Goldstein|July 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
How Wisconsin police discovered the lethal flaw before it became a national scandal.
The Cops Who Found Out the Truth About GM's Deadly Cars—in 2006|Michael Daly|July 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The sharpened faculties have something of a lawyer's quickness in detecting a flaw in the indictment.
Children's Ways|James Sully
Its only flaw was a dangerous crack through the lamb's nose and front feet.
The Box-Car Children|Gertrude Chandler Warner
Athene (Roman Minerva) however, the goddess of wisdom, had a character without a flaw, and ranked with Apollo in wisdom.
Beacon Lights of History, Volume I|John Lord
There was not a flaw in the sequence of events, no possible reason for the suspicions which yet lingered at the back of his brain.
The Double Four|E. Phillips Oppenheim
His whole scheme was complete, and he reviewed every point of it to make certain there was no flaw in it.
The Light That Lures|Percy Brebner

British Dictionary definitions for flaw (1 of 2)

flaw¹

/ (flɔː) /

noun

an imperfection, defect, or blemish

a crack, breach, or rift

law an invalidating fault or defect in a document or proceeding

verb

to make or become blemished, defective, or imperfect

Derived forms of flaw

flawless, adjectiveflawlessly, adverbflawlessness, noun

Word Origin for flaw

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

British Dictionary definitions for flaw (2 of 2)

flaw²

/ (flɔː) /

noun

a sudden short gust of wind; squall
a spell of bad, esp windy, weather

obsolete an outburst of strong feeling

Derived forms of flaw

flawy, adjective

Word Origin for flaw

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

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

OTHER WORDS FOR flaw

Origin of flaw

synonym study for flaw

OTHER WORDS FROM flaw

Words nearby flaw

Other definitions for flaw (2 of 2)

Origin of flaw

OTHER WORDS FROM flaw

Words related to flaw

How to use flaw in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for flaw (1 of 2)

Derived forms of flaw

Word Origin for flaw

British Dictionary definitions for flaw (2 of 2)

Derived forms of flaw

Word Origin for flaw