foible

noun

foi·​ble ˈfȯi-bəl How to pronounce foible (audio)
1
: the part of a sword or foil blade between the middle and point
2
: a minor flaw or shortcoming in character or behavior : weakness
admired their teacher despite his foibles
… talent is always balanced by foible.Janna Malamud Smith

Did you know?

Many word lovers agree that the pen is mightier than the sword. But be they honed in wit or form, even the sharpest tools in the shed have their flaws. That’s where foible comes in handy. Borrowed from French in the 1600s, the word originally referred to the weakest part of a fencing sword, that part being the portion between the middle and the pointed tip. The English foible soon came to be applied not only to weaknesses in blades but also to minor failings in character. The French source of foible is also at a remove from the fencing arena; the French foible means "weak," and it comes from the same Old French term, feble, that gave us feeble.

Choose the Right Synonym for foible

fault, failing, frailty, foible, vice mean an imperfection or weakness of character.

fault implies a failure, not necessarily culpable, to reach some standard of perfection in disposition, action, or habit.

a writer of many virtues and few faults

failing suggests a minor shortcoming in character.

being late is a failing of mine

frailty implies a general or chronic proneness to yield to temptation.

human frailties

foible applies to a harmless or endearing weakness or idiosyncrasy.

an eccentric's charming foibles

vice can be a general term for any imperfection or weakness, but it often suggests violation of a moral code or the giving of offense to the moral sensibilities of others.

compulsive gambling was his vice

Examples of foible in a Sentence

could tolerate my uncle's foibles because we loved him dearly
Recent Examples on the Web Ellen Gilchrist, a Southern writer with a sharp, sometimes indulgent eye for her region’s foibles and eccentricities, died on Jan. 30 at her home in Ocean Springs, Miss. Adam Nossiter, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2024 His October bullpen foibles have become something of legend, each memory so painful as to require only a few words of description. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2024 Poitier himself grew frustrated that he was so often cast as a paragon of virtue, devoid of human foibles or desires. Chris Klimek, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 All the recent hit shows are about human beings with all their foibles. Marta Balaga, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024 Athill doesn’t treat her foibles and losses—of love, of money, of caste, of certainty—as traumas, events that would define her life as troubled and scarring. Hillary Kelly, The New Yorker, 21 Feb. 2024 There are a variety of reasons for the Times' recent foibles, including numerous financial issues that have plagued the paper. Justin Klawans, theweek, 25 Jan. 2024 That's the question at the heart of the action, a ghostly war between Poirot's reliance on deduction and logic and the far more human, irrational foibles of loss, greed, obsession, and the unexplainable. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Sep. 2023 But recent years have shown that crypto is vulnerable to the same kinds of foibles that first gave it momentum in during the financial crisis. Erika Page, The Christian Science Monitor, 1 Feb. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

obsolete French (now faible), from obsolete foible weak, from Old French feble feeble

First Known Use

circa 1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of foible was circa 1648

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near foible

Cite this Entry

“Foible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foible. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

foible

noun
foi·​ble ˈfȯi-bəl How to pronounce foible (audio)
: a minor fault in personal character or behavior : weakness

More from Merriam-Webster on foible

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!