flaw
gb/flˈɔ/ us/flˈɔ/
B1
Anglais
~ 3900
Sens
0 sens
Nom
B1
entity
1
A defect or weakness
A small problem or weakness that makes something not perfect.
Schéma d’usage :
a flaw in [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'flaw' with 'flow' because they sound similar. 'Flaw' means imperfection, while 'flow' means movement like water.
Synonymes
defect (Often used for physical or manufacturing problems, especially in products.)
|
fault (Can refer to responsibility for a mistake, but also to imperfections in objects or people.)
Antonymes
strength (Refers to a positive quality or advantage, the opposite of a weakness.)
|
perfection (The state of being without any flaws or defects.)
Collocations
fatal flaw
|minor flaw
|design flaw
|character flaw
|serious flaw
Thèmes
daily life
|quality
|criticism
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The plan has a serious flaw that could cause it to fail.
- Her only flaw is that she can be impatient at times.
- Engineers discovered a design flaw in the bridge.
- Honesty is important, but arrogance is a major character flaw.
- There’s a flaw in your argument that makes it unconvincing.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The table has a small flaw in the wood.
- He has one big flaw: he is lazy.
- There is a flaw in the machine.
- Her plan was good, but it had a flaw.
- I saw a flaw in the glass.
Verbe
B2
action
2
To damage or spoil something
To make something less good by adding a problem or weakness.
Schéma d’usage :
to flaw [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Some learners mistakenly use 'flaw' as a verb when they mean 'flow'. They are unrelated in meaning.
Synonymes
mar (Often used for spoiling the appearance or perfection of something.)
|
spoil (More general; can refer to ruining enjoyment, quality, or condition.)
Antonymes
perfect (To make something completely free from flaws.)
|
improve (To make something better rather than worse.)
Collocations
flaw the surface
|flaw the finish
Thèmes
quality
|damage
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The impact flawed the otherwise smooth surface of the car.
- One mistake in the report flawed the entire presentation.
- His judgment was flawed by personal bias.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The scratch flawed the table.
- Her speech was flawed by many mistakes.
- The photo is flawed because it is blurry.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
flaw
API
GB/flˈɔ/
US/flˈɔ/
Syllabes et accentuation
flaw (1 syllabe)
Stress on 1st syllable (flaw)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: flaw
- Plural: flaws
Verb
- Base: flaw
- 3rd Person Singular: flaws
- Present Participle: flawing
- Past: flawed
Famille de mots
Expressions
character flaw
1/kˈɛɹɪktɚ flˈɔ/
fixed phrase
A weakness in personality or morals
A bad part of someone's personality.
Exemples
- Jealousy is often considered a character flaw.
- Her kindness is genuine, but impatience is her character flaw.
design flaw
1/dɪzˈaɪn flˈɔ/
fixed phrase
A mistake in how something is planned or made
A problem in how something was designed or planned.
Exemples
- The phone's short battery life is a major design flaw.
- The bridge collapsed because of a design flaw.
fatal flaw
1/fˈeɪtəl flˈɔ/
fixed phrase
serious weakness that causes failure
A very serious weakness in a person, plan, or thing that finally makes it fail.
Exemples
- The software's fatal flaw was its lack of security features.
- The plan had one fatal flaw: it depended on perfect weather.
- His inability to listen to others proved to be his fatal flaw.
- His fatal flaw is that he never listens to advice.
- Critics say the law’s fatal flaw is that it is impossible to enforce.