WEAKNESS Synonyms: 148 Similar and Opposite Words

weakness

noun

ˈwēk-nəs

Definition of weakness

as in fatigue

the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor the flu left me with such overwhelming weakness that I could hardly stand

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as in softness

the quality or state of lacking strength of will or character in a moment of weakness he said yes to his daughter's request for a new toy

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as in fault

a defect in character his one weakness is his cockeyed optimism about everything

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as in vulnerability

the quality or state of having little resistance to some outside agent the devastating weakness of the immune system that is experienced by people with certain chronic conditions

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of weakness For an agency responsible for national security, those internal details can be valuable to people looking for weaknesses. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026 Those marks can show whether the elevator was violently torn away or had an earlier weakness, such as metal fatigue. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 5 Nov. 2026 Those questions ask employees to examine their weaknesses, reconsider assumptions and sometimes admit uncomfortable truths. — Dennis Wilke, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026 The Wolverines, who opened this season with an 84-68 win over Oakland, didn’t have many weaknesses last year. — Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 5 Nov. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weakness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakness

Noun

And yet, the dominant feeling for most people is fatigue, not freedom.

— Aditi Sinha, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
But at the moment, Trump fatigue is taking a real toll on Fox’s ratings, and thus its bottom line.

— Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of fatigue

Noun

Intel on Friday had its worst day on the stock market since the 1970s, dropping 29%, after the company cited PC softness for a disappointing forecast.

— Kif Leswing, CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
Drawn by the garment’s softness and story, Cody built a relationship with the Chamb family, learning about alpaca fiber, from its origins to the farmers who raise the animals.

— Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of softness

Noun

The changes are aimed at preventing mechanical wear and electrical faults that could take the robot offline.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
For a curator not to take the venue seriously as an interlocutor is a fault that could overwhelm even very strong work.

— Kristian Vistrup Madsen, Artforum, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of fault

Noun

Stearns held up two other federal restrictions on state verification of medical frailty, including the requirement that states require proof that is less than a year old to substantiate a patient’s medical frailty.

— Gabrielle M. Etzel, The Washington Examiner, 29 Oct. 2026
Overall, two-thirds of patients did better on a frailty score that measures grip strength, chair stands, and balancing.

— Elizabeth Cooney, STAT, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of frailty

Noun

Conversations with my replacement confirmed that local physicians were frustrated with Theranos over these shortcomings and communicating with our laboratory about them.

— Torie Bosch, STAT, 24 Oct. 2026
For residents, the reservoir nonetheless remains a painfully visible symbol of the city’s shortcomings.

— Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of shortcoming

Noun

Severity depends on the amount of bacteria that’s inhaled, the strain that’s involved and individual susceptibility, Vanrompay says.

— Rachel Melegrito, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026
Studies of these families have helped identify potential susceptibility genes for lung cancer and environmental risk factors.

— Estelamari Rodriguez, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026