weakness
gb/wˈiknəs/ us/wˈiknəs/
A2
Anglais
~ 3000
Sens
0 sens
Nom
A2
state
1
Lack of physical strength
When someone or something is not strong and has little power or energy.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] has weakness in [a body part]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes confuse 'weakness' with 'disease', but 'weakness' is a symptom, not an illness itself.
Synonymes
frailty (Often used for physical weakness due to age or illness.)
Antonymes
strength (Refers to the physical power or force that is lacking in weakness.)
Collocations
physical weakness
|muscle weakness
|general weakness
|feeling of weakness
Thèmes
health
|daily life
|body
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- After the flu, she still felt a lingering weakness in her legs.
- The patient showed signs of muscle weakness after the surgery.
- Climbing the stairs was difficult because of his general weakness.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I feel weakness in my arms.
- She has muscle weakness after being sick.
- He could not walk because of weakness.
Nom
B1
property
2
Fault in character or ability
A bad point in a person’s character or skills.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone]'s weakness is [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners may confuse 'weakness' here with physical weakness, but this meaning is about personality or abilities.
Synonymes
flaw (A more general term for an imperfection; not limited to strength or ability.)
Antonymes
strength (Refers to a positive quality or skill instead of a fault.)
Collocations
personal weakness
|character weakness
|admit a weakness
Thèmes
emotions
|self-improvement
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- Her main weakness is that she trusts people too easily.
- The interviewers asked him about his strengths and weaknesses.
- Impatience is one of his biggest weaknesses.
Exemples pédagogiques
- My weakness is that I talk too much.
- Her weakness is that she gets angry quickly.
- He knows his weakness and wants to change it.
Nom
B1
entity
3
Strong liking for something irresistible
Something you like very much and find hard to stop yourself from having.
Schéma d’usage :
[someone] has a weakness for [something]
Erreur fréquente :
Learners sometimes think this means being physically weak, but it's about liking something too much.
Synonymes
craving (Implies a strong desire, often for food or drink.)
Antonymes
dislike (The opposite of having a liking for something.)
Collocations
weakness for chocolate
|weakness for sweets
|have a weakness for
Thèmes
emotions
|daily life
|health
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- I have a weakness for dark chocolate.
- Her weakness for designer shoes often gets her into debt.
- He admits he has a weakness for gambling.
Exemples pédagogiques
- I have a weakness for ice cream.
- She has a weakness for cakes.
- He has a weakness for old movies.
Nom
B2
entity
4
Vulnerable point in system or plan
A part of something that can easily be hurt or cause problems because it is not strong.
Schéma d’usage :
[something] has a weakness in [area/aspect]
Synonymes
vulnerability (Often used in technical or security contexts to mean an exposed point of risk.)
Antonymes
strength (A strong point that supports the success of something.)
Collocations
security weakness
|structural weakness
|weakness in the plan
Thèmes
business
|security
|technology
|core_vocabulary
Exemples
- The software has a security weakness that hackers could exploit.
- There is a design weakness in the bridge structure.
- The plan's main weakness is its high cost.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The wall has a big weakness.
- There is a weakness in the system.
- The team found a weakness in the rules.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
weakness
API
GB/wˈiknəs/
US/wˈiknəs/
Syllabes et accentuation
weak - ness (2 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (weak)
Formes du mot
Noun
- Base: weakness
- Plural: weakness, weaknesses
Famille de mots
Expressions
have a weakness for
1/hˈæv ə wˈiknəs fɚ/
fixed phrase
To strongly like something irresistible
To like something very much and find it hard to resist.
Exemples
- I have a weakness for Italian desserts.
- She has a weakness for romantic comedies.
one's Achilles' heel
1/wˈʌnz əkˈɪliz hˈil/
idiom
A specific fault or vulnerability
A small but important weakness that can cause someone to fail.
Exemples
- His inability to delegate work is his Achilles' heel.
- For many students, time management is their Achilles' heel.
point of weakness
1/pˈɔɪnt əv wˈiknəs/
fixed phrase
Specific area lacking strength
A part or aspect that is not strong and may cause problems.
Exemples
- We need to identify any point of weakness in our security system.
- Her argument had only one point of weakness.