vulnerability
gb/vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/ us/vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/
B2
Angielski
~ 6700
Znaczenia
0 znaczeń
Rzeczownik
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.
Schemat użycia:
vulnerability to [something]
Częsty błąd:
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").
Synonimy
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.)
Antonimy
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.)
Kolokacje
a sense of vulnerability
|feel a growing vulnerability
|recognize your vulnerability
|vulnerability to attack
|vulnerability to criticism
|expose someone's vulnerability
Tematy
emotions
|safety
|health
|daily life
Przykłady
- 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.
Przykłady dla uczących się
- 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.
Rzeczownik
B2
property
2
willingness to show weakness
The choice to be open and honest about your real feelings and weaknesses with other people.
Schemat użycia:
to show vulnerability
Częsty błąd:
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").
Synonimy
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.)
Antonimy
emotional guardedness (Describes a protective refusal to share true feelings or weaknesses.)
|
defensiveness (Highlights a tense, protective reaction instead of open sharing.)
Kolokacje
show vulnerability
|embrace vulnerability
|emotional vulnerability
|the power of vulnerability
|vulnerability in relationships
|a moment of vulnerability
Tematy
emotions
|relationships
|psychology
Przykłady
- 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.
Przykłady dla uczących się
- 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.
Rzeczownik
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.
Schemat użycia:
a vulnerability in [a system/plan]
Częsty błąd:
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.
Synonimy
weakness (Very general term; does not always imply risk of attack or failure.)
|
flaw (Stresses a defect or mistake, often smaller or more specific.)
Antonimy
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.)
Kolokacje
identify vulnerabilities
|a serious vulnerability
|vulnerabilities in the system
|structural vulnerabilities
|address key vulnerabilities
|exploit a vulnerability
Tematy
business
|technology
|safety
|work
|core_vocabulary
Przykłady
- 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.
Przykłady dla uczących się
- 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.
Rzeczownik
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.
Schemat użycia:
vulnerability of [group/place] to [threat]
Częsty błąd:
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.
Synonimy
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.)
Antonimy
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.)
Kolokacje
social vulnerability
|vulnerability to climate change
|vulnerability of low-income communities
|economic vulnerability
|assess community vulnerability
|reduce vulnerability to disasters
Tematy
environment
|society
|economics
|health
|nature
|business
Przykłady
- 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.
Przykłady dla uczących się
- 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.
Rzeczownik
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.
Schemat użycia:
a vulnerability in [software/system]
Częsty błąd:
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").
Synonimy
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.)
Antonimy
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.)
Kolokacje
security vulnerability
|critical vulnerability
|patch a vulnerability
|zero-day vulnerability
|discover a vulnerability
|vulnerability scan
Tematy
technology
|security
Przykłady
- 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.
Przykłady dla uczących się
- 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.
Gramatyka
Forma słownikowa
vulnerability
IPA
GB/vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/
US/vˌʌlnɚəbˈɪlɪti/
Sylaby i akcent
vul - ner - ab - il - ity (5 sylab)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ab)
Formy wyrazu
Noun
- Base: vulnerability
- Plural: vulnerabilities, vulnerability
Rodzina wyrazów
Forms
vulnerabilities
noun
Core family
vulnerable
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
invulnerable
adjective
invulnerability
noun
Advanced or less common
vulnerably
adverb
Wyrażenia
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.
Przykłady
- 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.
Przykłady
- 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.
Przykłady
- 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.
Przykłady
- 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.
Przykłady
- 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.
Przykłady
- 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.