foible
Americannoun
-
foibles
plural
-
a minor weakness or failing of character; slight flaw or defect.
an all-too-human foible.
- Synonyms:
- peculiarity, eccentricity, crotchet, quirk, frailty
- Antonyms:
- strength
-
the weaker part of a sword blade, between the middle and the point (opposed to forte).
noun
-
a slight peculiarity or minor weakness; idiosyncrasy
-
the most vulnerable part of a sword's blade, from the middle to the tip Compare forte 1
Synonym Usage
See fault.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of foible
First recorded in 1640–50; from French, obsolete form of faible feeble
Explanation
If you repeat foible out loud enough times, it sounds so funny that you can laugh at it and maybe remember to laugh at the odd and distinctive weaknesses of others — the foible or two or a hundred that we all have. Sometimes a foible helps make a person who they are, even if the foible, or weakness ("feeble" is a close relative), is a little odd. Synonyms for foible in a negative sense are "failing," "shortcoming," and in a more positive sense "quirk," "eccentricity." It can likewise be annoying or endearing. Most people have a foible, or idiosyncrasy, that stands out to others, but interestingly, a person rarely sees his or her own characteristic foible.
Vocabulary lists containing foible
100 SAT Words Beginning with "F"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Bluest Eye
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 12
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
It helps fund managers justify their salaries and makes ordinary people feel better because of a foible known as the illusion of control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 2, 2026
"Never For Ever" ultimately produced three Top 20 singles, including the indelible foible "Babooshka."
From Salon ● Sep. 25, 2022
Jones happily recites the joke using the other word, and the two men laugh, having been caught in a foible of their profession.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2021
Mr. Rodriguez took the foible as a challenge.
From New York Times ● Nov. 20, 2018
He, as his own subaltern, was especially bound to indulge this foible.
From The Passionate Elopement by Compton MacKenzie
“It is infectious to play a character who sees the best in people and isn’t mad at the world for all its foibles and bullies and shadows,” Sudeikis recently told the Hollywood Reporter.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
His new special is filled with jokes about his childhood in New York and as a sharp-tongued Gen Xer commenting on the foibles of both his own generation and those of young adults.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
Like the large so-called moon jar that opens the exhibition, these capacious bowls glazed in eggshell white flaunt their foibles with wobbling edges that give character to otherwise pure forms.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
The foibles of the Mets are so many and so weird that Mets fans themselves have embraced a term for them: LOLMets.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
After that, as products of very different backgrounds they were continually scared stiff of hurting each other’s feelings; hence they understood and tolerated their respective foibles almost to the point of obsequiousness.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
