vulnerable
capable of or susceptible to being attacked, damaged, or hurt: a vulnerable part of the body;vulnerable to predators;a company vulnerable to a hostile takeover.
open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.: That is an argument vulnerable to refutation.He is vulnerable to bribery.
(of a place) open to assault; difficult to defend:a vulnerable bridge.
willing to show emotion or to allow one’s weaknesses to be seen or known: Men and boys are rarely seen as vulnerable.
(of a person or population) needing supportive or protective social services and community resources because of advanced age, poverty, disability, etc.
Bridge. having won one of the games of a rubber.
Biology, Ecology. (of a threatened plant or animal species) likely to be classified endangered in the near future unless circumstances that threaten reproduction and survival improve, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: At least 15 percent of our vulnerable reptiles are turtles.Abbreviation: VU
Origin of vulnerable
1Other words from vulnerable
- vul·ner·a·bil·i·ty [vuhl-ner-uh-bil-i-tee], /ˌvʌl nər əˈbɪl ɪ ti/, vul·ner·a·ble·ness, noun
- vul·ner·a·bly, adverb
- un·vul·ner·a·ble, adjective
Words that may be confused with vulnerable
- venerable, vulnerable
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use vulnerable in a sentence
When they are real (or at least less obviously fake) the tape offers a chance to see a celebrity in a vulnerably raw position.
So You Want to be a Porn Star? Inside the Sex Tape Phenomenon | Aurora Snow | July 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe smiled suddenly, vulnerably, holding up his little finger.
Wilderness of Spring | Edgar PangbornAll his address was for his own girl, with her bright, shallow eyes and her vulnerably opened mouth.
The Rainbow | D. H. (David Herbert) LawrenceThe men broke into his office where he was sitting, vulnerably, in his shirt-sleeves.
The Tree of Heaven | May Sinclair
British Dictionary definitions for vulnerable
/ (ˈvʌlnərəbəl) /
capable of being physically or emotionally wounded or hurt
open to temptation, persuasion, censure, etc
liable or exposed to disease, disaster, etc
military liable or exposed to attack
bridge (of a side who have won one game towards rubber) subject to increased bonuses or penalties
Origin of vulnerable
1Derived forms of vulnerable
- vulnerability or vulnerableness, noun
- vulnerably, adverb
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
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