weakness

American  

[week-nis] / ˈwik nɪs /

noun

weaknesses plural

1. the state or quality of being weak; lack of strength, firmness, vigor, or the like; feebleness.

   Synonyms:

   fragility

   Antonyms:

   strength

2. an inadequate or defective quality, as in a person's character; slight fault or defect.

   to show great sympathy for human weaknesses.

   Synonyms:

   flaw

3. a self-indulgent liking or special fondness, as for a particular thing.

   I've always had a weakness for the opera.

   Synonyms:

   appetite, hunger, passion, penchant

4. an object of special desire; something very difficult to resist.

   Chocolates were her weakness.

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weakness British  

/ ˈwiːknɪs /

noun

1. the state or quality of being weak

2. a deficiency or failing, as in a person's character

3. a self-indulgent fondness or liking

   a weakness for chocolates

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weakness Idioms  

1. see have a weakness for.

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Synonym Usage

See fault.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonweakness
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• weaknesses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of weakness

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English waikenes, weikenes. See weak, -ness

Explanation

The point where something fails to work properly or to hold up is its weakness. If a building crumbles in a storm, it's probably because of a weakness — a flaw or defect — in its structure. Weakness can indicate a physical weakness, like a chair with one wobbly leg, or flaw in an idea, like a plan for a lemonade stand that doesn't include any cups for serving the lemonade. People can show weakness too, when they are helpless to take action. The origin of weakness can be traced all the way back to its Proto-Indo-European root of weik, "to bend."

Example Sentences

He said that Microsoft remains one of the “highest quality ways” to gain exposure to artificial intelligence and views the stock’s recent weakness as a buying opportunity for investors.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 25, 2026

David Denton’s appointment, effective Aug. 17, comes as the company struggles to execute a turnaround, with sales dropping in the company’s key China market and weakness in the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026

Still, that is higher than May’s 4.3% national unemployment rate, and it masked some weakness in the local economy.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026

Analysts expect Nike’s operational weakness to persist for several quarters, as its turnaround requires time for product innovation.

From Barron's • Jun. 24, 2026

“Yes. The weakness of needing something. Now the lion must beg for it. He is no king if he needs anything.”

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Related Words

• deficiency
• failing
• flaw
• fragility
• frailty
• gap
• instability
• lack
• lapse
• shortcoming
• vulnerability