foible
Americannoun
-
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
Related Words
See fault.
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"
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The Bluest Eye
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"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 12
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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.
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
“He used to tell me that every joke has a message. Whatever you’re laughing at, you’re laughing at some foible of yours or somebody else’s. What is learned from laughter is learned well.”
From Washington Post • Dec. 8, 2022
"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
His forte is the foible; his cheval de bataille, the hobby-horse.
From The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Sterne, Laurence
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.
