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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 But the gains came despite continued weakness in the industry most closely associated with Silicon Valley. — George Avalos, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2026 Giovanni Staunovo, commodity analyst at UBS, said rising debt levels globally, coupled with sustained weakness in the dollar, underpinned gold's surge last year — and now those concerns are returning. — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 21 Aug. 2026 City looked anemic in their Community Shield warmup last weekend, going down in defeat 3-0 against Arsenal in a blowout that exposed a few weaknesses in Maresca’s midfield. — Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 21 Aug. 2026 About one in 150 people will experience severe symptoms that include high fever, a stiff neck and muscle weakness. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for weakness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for weakness

Noun

In melanoma patients, Keytruda treatment can result in fatigue, diarrhea, rash and inflammation of joints and muscles, as well as of healthy organs in some cases.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
The product is intended for people navigating screen-heavy workdays, mental fatigue, travel, irregular routines, or periods of rest before returning to focused tasks.

— William Jones, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of fatigue

Noun

As for footwear sales in the region, the second quarter saw a slowdown of sales of high-heat product, alongside tougher comparatives and ongoing softness in end-of-cycle footwear product lines.

— Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026
The softness comes from construction decisions made three and four years ago, and the pipeline that produced it has already been cut hard.

— Tony Julianelle, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of softness

Noun

Deadly fires, often linked to electrical faults or gas cylinder explosions, are common in India where investigators have frequently pointed to safety lapses and inadequate enforcement of fire regulations as contributing to recurring loss of life.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
If Russia behaved badly, that was the fault of its primitive and cruel Asian side, a notion that conveniently created the fiction that Western countries are not capable of similar cruelty.

— Foreign Affairs, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of fault

Noun

Microsoft entered the cybersecurity-model category in late July with MAI-Cyber-1-Flash, a compact model built specifically for vulnerability analysis.

— Ashish Bhatia, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
The vulnerability could be on defense after coordinator Jay Hill joined Kyle Whittingham at Michigan.

— Ralph D. Russo, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of vulnerability

Noun

And Software Finder’s survey found that nearly half of workers who fake productivity say the pressure to appear busy has contributed to their burnout or exhaustion.

— Barnaby Lashbrooke, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
Burnout is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged or repeated stress that leaves people feeling overwhelmed, emotionally depleted and unable to keep up with ongoing demands.

— Daryl Austin, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of exhaustion

Noun

The close of that second day — admittedly of what became an all too short and one-sided Test because of Pakistan’s alarming frailties — brought a fascinating debate on the BBC’s Test Match Special podcast.

— Paul Newman, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026
Gemma’s increasing frailty and the newfound demands of being a spiritist courier now tasked with the most important job of all provide star Eve a fine enough base to play.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of frailty

Noun

The club’s shortcomings were particularly evident in the Arsenal loss, as Mateo Kovačić and Nico O’Reilly were outclassed all afternoon.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 21 Aug. 2026
These structural shortcomings mean that Southeast Asian governments can’t be too ambitious in their AI strategies.

— Angelica Ang, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of shortcoming

Noun

Today, most 16- and 17-year-olds who commit crimes are generally handled in juvenile court because policymakers recognize that adolescents differ from adults in judgment, impulse control, risk assessment, and susceptibility to peer influence.

— Keith Wortz, Hartford Courant, 13 Aug. 2026
This offers one possible explanation for teenage risk-taking behavior and susceptibility to peer influence.

— J. Todd R. Lawrence, STAT, 27 July 2026