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 Months later, the models were turning up weaknesses no one had spotted before. — Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2026 However, a recent Morgan Stanley survey suggests the weakness more broadly in Q2 was driven more by consumers pulling back on spending. — Alexa Lomonaco, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 The performance raises questions about whether Gamecocks exposed a weakness in the Panthers’ defense or simply presented a difficult matchup for a unit that had been dominant through the first part of the season. — Alejandro Hernandez, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026 The easing of existing sanctions less than 10 days before additional sanctions are scheduled to go into effect is a sign of weakness and only will embolden Russian President Vladimir Putin. — Joel R. Levin, Chicago Tribune, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weakness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakness

Noun

Injuries and fatigue hollowed out a once-dominant roster, with Shohei Ohtani’s decision to keep pitching through pain leaving the team without its most potent hitter in October.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Chen advised supervisors facing decision fatigue to review shots within their sequences rather than obsess over individual frames.

— Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of fatigue

Noun

All inspired by Rise & Fall’s signature knitwear and outerwear, the designs recast the language of clothing in sculptural forms, bringing together the softness of textiles and the presence of jewelry.

— Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
Non-interest expenses came in below expectations, which is encouraging, but the $112 million beat versus the FactSet consensus didn't make up for all of the top-line softness.

— Jeff Marks, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of softness

Noun

The court ruled in favor of summary judgment for OpenAI and found Walters had not established fault and damages.

— Kaitlin Newkirk, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
The military attributed the crash of a PAC MFI-17 Mushshak plane near the town of Nawan Killi in Balochistan province to a technical fault.

— ABC News, ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of fault

Noun

The charges come with additional special allegations, around the victim’s vulnerability and that Tapia abused a trustworthy position.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
The Dodgers’ bullpen and vaunted starters also showed vulnerabilities throughout the summer.

— Andrew Greif, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of vulnerability

Noun

Abrams does yeoman’s work with a character stuck in a tight spot for most of the running time, constantly grunting and gasping with a mixture of anguish and exhaustion as his body gets progressively more beat up and broken.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2026
Tina testified for an hour before fainting from exhaustion, returning later that day for a second round of questioning.

— Andrew Coletti, Popular Science, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of exhaustion

Noun

Outside stands a statue of an infirm John Paul II leaning on his papal staff — a reminder of the pontiffs who have been treated here, and of their earthly frailty.

— Claudio Lavanga, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026
Pope Francis tried to change that by being upfront about his frailties and musing on his eventual death.

— CBS News, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of frailty

Noun

By the August meeting, shortcomings in the rollout were identified.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
Jenae and Shalanda walk Brittany through how our aging power grid - coupled with climate change, the strain of new technologies, and a lack of investment - exposes the systemic shortcomings that very well might leave all of us in the dark.

— October 16, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of shortcoming

Noun

Studies of these families have helped identify potential susceptibility genes for lung cancer and environmental risk factors.

— Estelamari Rodriguez, The Conversation, 14 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, those with the highest genetic susceptibility to ADHD were found to have a 35% greater risk of dementia than those with the lowest susceptibility.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026