Meaning of the word weakness

: the quality or state of being weak

The weakness of her voice surprised me.

The incident exposed his weakness as a leader.

Some see compromise as a sign of weakness.

the weakness of a radio signal connection

the weakness of the dollar

I told them my secret in a moment of weakness.

The tutor assessed the student’s strengths and weaknesses.

The basketball team has few weaknesses.

Chocolate is my greatest weakness.

He has a weakness for desserts.

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Recent Examples on the Web

The ruble’s weakness runs counter to a broader trend among global currencies, which have gained against the dollar in recent weeks.


—Chelsey Dulaney, WSJ, 6 Apr. 2023




The ruble’s weakness runs counter to a broader trend among global currencies, which have gained against the dollar in recent weeks.


—Chelsey Dulaney, wsj.com, 6 Apr. 2023




Software updates are one of Motorola’s weaknesses.


—Dave Leclair, PCMAG, 4 Apr. 2023




Unfortunately for Miami, UConn is built to exploit the Hurricanes’ two biggest defensive weaknesses.


—Tanner Mcgrath, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2023




Even as the Fed tries to understand why problems were not addressed more promptly, the fact that Silicon Valley Bank remained under less rigorous oversight that may not have tested for its specific weaknesses until relatively late in the game is increasingly in focus.


—Jeanna Smialek, New York Times, 31 Mar. 2023




One of Seattle’s biggest weaknesses last season was their defensive line, ranking in the bottom seven of every run defense category, including 30th in rushing yards allowed.


—Dj Siddiqi, Forbes, 31 Mar. 2023




And were some of those weaknesses, in part, the result of trying to mold that army into a US-style military? 6.


—Peter Bergen, CNN, 28 Mar. 2023




Even as the Fed was still vetting what happened, Barr said, poor management at Silicon Valley Bank allowed its weaknesses to build to a point that the bank failed on March 10.


—Jeanna Smialek, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Mar. 2023


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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word ‘weakness.’ Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of weakness was
in the 14th century

Other forms: weaknesses

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.»

Definitions of weakness

1. noun

   a flaw or weak point

2. noun

   the property of lacking physical or mental strength; liability to failure under pressure or stress or strain

   “his
   weakness increased as he became older”

   “the
   weakness of the span was overlooked until it collapsed”

   see moresee less

   Antonyms:

   strength

   the property of being physically or mentally strong

   types:

   show 21 types…

   hide 21 types…

   littleness, smallness

   the property of having relatively little strength or vigor

   adynamia

   lack of strength or vigor (especially from illness)

   feebleness, tenuity

   the quality of lacking intensity or substance

   faintness

   the property of being without strength

   flimsiness, shoddiness

   the property of weakness by virtue of careless construction

   delicacy, fragility

   lack of physical strength

   insubstantiality

   lack of solid substance and strength

   attenuation

   the property of something that has been weakened or reduced in thickness or density

   enervation

   lack of vitality

   fatigability

   susceptibility to fatigue; a tendency to get tired or lose strength

   inanition, lassitude, lethargy, slackness

   weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energy

   soft spot, weak part, weak spot

   a place of especial vulnerability

   vulnerability

   susceptibility to injury or attack

   Achilles’ heel

   a seemingly small but actual mortal weakness

   jugular

   a vital part that is vulnerable to attack

   underbelly

   the quality of being weak or unprotected

   defencelessness, defenselessness, unprotectedness

   the property of being helpless in the face of attack

   assailability

   vulnerability to forceful attack

   destructibility

   vulnerability to destruction

   breakability, fragility, frangibility, frangibleness

   quality of being easily damaged or destroyed

   exposure

   vulnerability to the elements; to the action of heat or cold or wind or rain

   type of:

   property

   a basic or essential attribute shared by all members of a class

3. noun

   powerlessness revealed by an inability to act

   “in spite of their
   weakness the group remains active”

   synonyms:

   helplessness, impuissance

4. noun

   a penchant for something even though it might not be good for you

   “he has a
   weakness for chocolate”

5. noun

   the condition of being financially weak

   “the
   weakness of the dollar against the yen”