vulnerability
gb/vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/ us/vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/
B2
Inglés
~ 6700
Acepciones
0 acepciones
Sustantivo
B2
state
1
state of being easily harmed
The state of being in a position where you can be hurt, damaged, or attacked, especially in your body or feelings.
Patrón de uso:
vulnerability to [something]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes confuse the noun "vulnerability" with the adjective "vulnerable". Use "vulnerability" after articles like "the" or "her" (e.g., "her vulnerability"), and "vulnerable" before nouns or after "be" (e.g., "she is vulnerable"). Another common mistake is saying "vulnerability against"; in this sense, English typically uses "vulnerability to" (e.g., "vulnerability to attack" or "vulnerability to harm").
Sinónimos
exposure (Focuses on being unprotected or uncovered rather than on the risk of hurt itself.)
|
fragility (Suggests being easily broken or hurt, often with a softer or more delicate tone.)
Antónimos
security (Emphasizes being protected from harm or danger, the opposite of being exposed to it.)
|
invulnerability (A more absolute idea of being impossible to harm or damage.)
Colocaciones
a sense of vulnerability
|feel a growing vulnerability
|recognize your vulnerability
|vulnerability to attack
|vulnerability to criticism
|expose someone's vulnerability
Temas
emotions
|safety
|health
|daily life
Ejemplos
- The attack highlighted the city's vulnerability to terrorism.
- Sharing that story revealed her deep sense of vulnerability.
- Years of illness increased his physical vulnerability.
- The break‑in made them painfully aware of their vulnerability at home.
- The report warns of our vulnerability to future crises.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The small child felt a strong sense of vulnerability in the dark.
- After the accident, he understood his own vulnerability.
- Good locks can reduce your vulnerability to thieves.
- Her kindness sometimes adds to her vulnerability.
- He tried to hide his vulnerability behind a joke.
Sustantivo
B2
property
2
willingness to show weakness
The choice to be open and honest about your real feelings and weaknesses with other people.
Patrón de uso:
to show vulnerability
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes think this meaning is always negative. In modern English, especially in psychology and relationship contexts, "vulnerability" is often described as something positive or brave. Also, avoid saying "do vulnerability"; use verbs like "show", "allow", "embrace", or "share" with this sense (e.g., "She shows vulnerability" not "She does vulnerability").
Sinónimos
openness (Stresses being honest and clear, not always including the idea of weakness or risk.)
|
exposure (Emphasizes letting others see personal, private sides of yourself.)
Antónimos
emotional guardedness (Describes a protective refusal to share true feelings or weaknesses.)
|
defensiveness (Highlights a tense, protective reaction instead of open sharing.)
Colocaciones
show vulnerability
|embrace vulnerability
|emotional vulnerability
|the power of vulnerability
|vulnerability in relationships
|a moment of vulnerability
Temas
emotions
|relationships
|psychology
Ejemplos
- Showing vulnerability in therapy helped him build trust.
- The leader's vulnerability made her team feel closer to her.
- He struggles with vulnerability and rarely talks about his fears.
- The podcast explores how vulnerability can strengthen relationships.
- In that speech, his vulnerability was more powerful than any prepared line.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- She showed vulnerability when she talked about her past.
- Vulnerability can help people feel close to each other.
- He thinks vulnerability is a sign of strength, not weakness.
- The coach's vulnerability made the players respect him more.
- In the group, they talked about the value of vulnerability.
Sustantivo
formal
B2
entity
3
weakness in a system or plan
A weak point in a plan, system, or structure that can cause problems if someone or something uses it.
Patrón de uso:
a vulnerability in [a system/plan]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes say "weakness of the system" when a more natural phrase is "vulnerability in the system" for risks that can be exploited. Also, "vulnerability" here is almost always countable ("a vulnerability", "two vulnerabilities") when you talk about separate weak points.
Sinónimos
weakness (Very general term; does not always imply risk of attack or failure.)
|
flaw (Stresses a defect or mistake, often smaller or more specific.)
Antónimos
strength (A strong point or advantage rather than a weak point.)
|
resilience (The ability of a system to resist or recover from problems, the opposite of having exploitable weak points.)
Colocaciones
identify vulnerabilities
|a serious vulnerability
|vulnerabilities in the system
|structural vulnerabilities
|address key vulnerabilities
|exploit a vulnerability
Temas
business
|technology
|safety
|work
|core_vocabulary
Ejemplos
- The audit revealed major vulnerabilities in the company's internal controls.
- Engineers are working to reduce structural vulnerabilities in the bridge design.
- Her report outlined key vulnerabilities in the supply chain.
- Competitors quickly exploited the firm's vulnerability in customer service.
- We need to understand our vulnerabilities before investing in new security measures.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- The test showed a big vulnerability in the plan.
- They fixed a serious vulnerability in the system.
- Managers must know the vulnerabilities of their company.
- Hackers found a vulnerability in the network.
- We looked for vulnerabilities before we launched the product.
Sustantivo
formal
C1
property
4
susceptibility of groups or places
How likely a group of people or an area is to be hurt by big problems like disasters, climate change, or economic crisis.
Patrón de uso:
vulnerability of [group/place] to [threat]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes repeat the word "risk" unnecessarily, saying "vulnerability risk to". In this sense, "vulnerability" already includes the idea of risk, so say "vulnerability to climate change" or "climate change risk", not both together.
Sinónimos
susceptibility (Focuses on being likely to be affected, often used in scientific or formal contexts.)
|
exposure (Highlights being in a position where harm from a large-scale threat can reach you.)
Antónimos
resilience (The ability of a community or system to resist and recover from shocks, opposite of high vulnerability.)
|
stability (Describes a steady situation with low risk of serious harm or change.)
Colocaciones
social vulnerability
|vulnerability to climate change
|vulnerability of low-income communities
|economic vulnerability
|assess community vulnerability
|reduce vulnerability to disasters
Temas
environment
|society
|economics
|health
|nature
|business
Ejemplos
- The report examines the vulnerability of coastal cities to rising seas.
- Poverty increases vulnerability to health crises.
- Climate scientists map regions of high vulnerability to drought.
- The pandemic exposed the vulnerability of informal workers.
- Improved infrastructure can reduce a community's vulnerability to floods.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- Rising sea levels increase the vulnerability of island nations.
- Old people may have higher vulnerability to heat waves.
- The study looks at the vulnerability of poor families to job loss.
- Good planning can lower a city's vulnerability to storms.
- They measured the village's vulnerability to future droughts.
Sustantivo
technical
C1
entity
5
security flaw in computing systems
A mistake or weak point in a computer system that hackers can use to get in or cause damage.
Patrón de uso:
a vulnerability in [software/system]
Error frecuente:
Learners sometimes use "virus" when they mean "vulnerability". A virus is a type of malicious software; a vulnerability is the weakness that lets such software or attackers in. Also, in this technical sense, "vulnerability" is usually countable ("a vulnerability", "several vulnerabilities").
Sinónimos
security flaw (Less technical phrase emphasizing a mistake that affects security.)
|
exploit (In security, refers to the specific code or method that uses a vulnerability, not the weakness itself.)
Antónimos
security patch (Not a direct conceptual opposite, but the standard fix used to remove a vulnerability.)
|
hardened system (Describes a system that has been strengthened to remove or reduce vulnerabilities.)
Colocaciones
security vulnerability
|critical vulnerability
|patch a vulnerability
|zero-day vulnerability
|discover a vulnerability
|vulnerability scan
Temas
technology
|security
Ejemplos
- Researchers disclosed a critical vulnerability in the operating system.
- The company released an update to patch the security vulnerability.
- A zero-day vulnerability left millions of devices open to attack.
- Regular scans help identify vulnerabilities before hackers can exploit them.
- The breach was traced back to an unpatched vulnerability in a web server.
Ejemplos para estudiantes
- They found a new security vulnerability in the app.
- You should update your phone to fix this vulnerability.
- The hacker used a vulnerability in the website.
- The team is testing the system for vulnerabilities.
- A zero-day vulnerability is very dangerous.
Gramática
Forma de diccionario
vulnerability
AFI
GB/vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/
US/vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/
Sílabas y acento
vul - ner - ab - il - ity (5 sílabas)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ab)
Formas de la palabra
Noun
- Base: vulnerability
- Plural: vulnerabilities, vulnerability
Familia de palabras
Forms
vulnerabilities
noun
Core family
vulnerable
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
invulnerable
adjective
invulnerability
noun
Advanced or less common
vulnerably
adverb
Expresiones
a sense of vulnerability
1/ə sˈɛns əv vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
feeling at risk of harm
A feeling that you are not safe and could be hurt or attacked.
Ejemplos
- The burglary left them with a lasting sense of vulnerability.
- Traveling alone at night gave her a sense of vulnerability.
- The crisis created a new sense of vulnerability in the country.
emotional vulnerability
1/ɪmˈoʊʃənəl vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
being easily hurt emotionally
A state where someone's feelings are easily hurt or strongly affected by what happens.
Ejemplos
- Therapy helped her understand her emotional vulnerability.
- He hides his emotional vulnerability behind jokes.
- The film shows the emotional vulnerability of teenagers.
security vulnerability
1/sɪkjˈʊɹɪti vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
technical
weakness in a security system
A weak point in a computer or other security system that can let attackers in.
Ejemplos
- The update fixes a serious security vulnerability.
- Hackers exploited a security vulnerability in the router.
- Regular testing can help you find security vulnerabilities early.
show vulnerability
1/ʃˈoʊ vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/
fixed phrase
let others see your weakness
To act in a way that lets other people see your real fears, worries, or weak points.
Ejemplos
- Good leaders are not afraid to show vulnerability.
- He finally showed vulnerability and talked about his anxiety.
- The interview made her feel safe enough to show vulnerability.
vulnerability assessment
1/vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti əsˈɛsmənt/
fixed phrase
technical
systematic check for weaknesses
A careful test or study that looks for weak points in a system, building, or organization.
Ejemplos
- The IT team conducts an annual vulnerability assessment.
- A vulnerability assessment revealed gaps in our security controls.
- They ordered a full vulnerability assessment after the incident.
vulnerability to attack
1/vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti tə ətˈæk/
fixed phrase
risk of being attacked successfully
How easy it is for someone or something to be attacked and harmed.
Ejemplos
- The base's vulnerability to attack has decreased after new defenses were added.
- Poor lighting increased the neighborhood's vulnerability to attack.
- They reviewed the building's vulnerability to attack before the event.