weak·ness

(wēk′nĭs)

1. The condition or quality of being weak.

2. A personal defect or failing.

a. A special fondness or inclination: has a weakness for fast cars.

b. Something of which one is excessively fond or desirous: Ice cream is his weakness.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

weakness

(ˈwiːknɪs)

1. the state or quality of being weak

2. a deficiency or failing, as in a person's character

3. a self-indulgent fondness or liking: a weakness for chocolates.

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

weak•ness

(ˈwik nɪs)

n.

1. the state or quality of being weak; lack of strength, firmness, vigor, or the like; feebleness.

2. an inadequate or defective quality, as in a person's character; slight fault or defect.

3. a self-indulgent liking or special fondness: a weakness for the opera.

4. an object of such liking or fondness.

[1250–1300]

syn: See fault.

Weakness

Arms felt like spaghetti —Dan Wakefield
As much strength as a seaweed —Ann Beattie
(A poor weak rag of a man with a) backbone like a piece of string —Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Boneless as poured water —George Garrett
Diminished and flat, as after radical surgery —Sylvia Plath
(The great white sails of the ships were) drooping like weary wings —Mazo De La Roche
Feeble as a babe —Ted Hughes
Feel as if I’m strung together by threads that pop and snap —Rosellen Brown
Feel diluted, like watered-down stew —Susan Minot
Felt a faintness stunning her senses as though someone had cut open the arteries of her wrists and all the blood rushed out of her body —Anzia Yezierska
Felt as if my legs had turned to warm lead —Stephen King
Forceful as a wet noodle —Anon
Forceless as a child —Aeschylus
The program has been like an elderly turtle on its back: it twitches feebly every now and then, but gets nowhere —Jack D. Kirwan, Wall Street Journal, March 19, 1987
The turtle comparison referred to the tragedy-weakened Challenger space program.
Knees like liquid —Elizabeth Spencer
(The man sprawls … spent, empty) limp as a drowned man tossed on the sand —George Garrett
(He was) limp as laundry —W. P. Kinsella
(I must have been worked up even more than I’d thought those past weeks, for now that it was all over I was) limp as a rag —Wilbur Daniel Steele
Looking like an advertisement for jelly —Mike Fredman
My legs felt as if … made of two lengths of rope —George Garrett
No more backbone than a chocolate eclair —Theodore Roosevelt
Roosevelt coined this simile about President McKinley when he was Secretary of the Navy.
She was like an overstretched bow, almost breaking —Stephen French Whitman
Softened and weakened, like a wax doll left too near the flame —George Garrett
Strength running out of him like sawdust —Vicki Baum
Was washed out like a disemboweled sack —Aharon Megged
Weak as a broken arm —Raymond Chandler
Weak as air —Ann Bradstreet
By contrast, you could also say “Strong as air,” especially if you’ve ever seen a ship in dry dock.
Weak as an nonagenarian —T. Coraghessan Boyle
(He’s as) weak as a stick —Mary Lee Settle
In Settle’s novel, Celebration, the simile relates to emotional weakness.
Weak as water —The Holy Bible/Ezkiel
Weak … like a cream puff with the cream squeezed out —Tom Robbins
Weak, like a moth newly broken out from its chrysalis —E. F. Benson

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	weakness - a flaw or weak point; "he was quick to point out his wife's failings" failing imperfection, imperfectness - the state or an instance of being imperfect insufficiency, inadequacy - a lack of competence; "pointed out the insufficiencies in my report"; "juvenile offenses often reflect an inadequacy in the parents" fatigue - used of materials (especially metals) in a weakened state caused by long stress; "metal fatigue" flaw - defect or weakness in a person's character; "he had his flaws, but he was great nonetheless"
	2.	weakness - powerlessness revealed by an inability to act; "in spite of their weakness the group remains active" helplessness, impuissance impotence, impotency, powerlessness - the quality of lacking strength or power; being weak and feeble
	3.	weakness - the property of lacking physical or mental strength; liability to failure under pressure or stress or strain; "his weakness increased as he became older"; "the weakness of the span was overlooked until it collapsed" property - a basic or essential attribute shared by all members of a class; "a study of the physical properties of atomic particles" littleness, smallness - the property of having relatively little strength or vigor; "the smallness of her voice" adynamia - lack of strength or vigor (especially from illness) feebleness, tenuity - the quality of lacking intensity or substance; "a shrill yet sweet tenuity of voice"- Nathaniel Hawthorne faintness - the property of being without strength; "the faintness or potency of the feeling" flimsiness, shoddiness - the property of weakness by virtue of careless construction fragility, delicacy - lack of physical strength insubstantiality - lack of solid substance and strength attenuation - the property of something that has been weakened or reduced in thickness or density enervation - lack of vitality; "an enervation of mind greater than any fatigue" fatigability - susceptibility to fatigue; a tendency to get tired or lose strength inanition, slackness, lethargy, lassitude - weakness characterized by a lack of vitality or energy soft spot, weak part, weak spot - a place of especial vulnerability vulnerability - susceptibility to injury or attack strength - the property of being physically or mentally strong; "fatigue sapped his strength"
	4.	weakness - the condition of being financially weak; "the weakness of the dollar against the yen" bad luck, ill luck, tough luck, misfortune - an unfortunate state resulting from unfavorable outcomes strength - the condition of financial success; "the strength of the company's stock in recent weeks"
	5.	weakness - a penchant for something even though it might not be good for you; "he has a weakness for chocolate" penchant, preference, taste, predilection - a strong liking; "my own preference is for good literature"; "the Irish have a penchant for blarney"

weakness

noun

1. frailty, fatigue, exhaustion, fragility, infirmity, debility, feebleness, faintness, decrepitude, enervation Symptoms of anaemia include weakness and fatigue.
frailty strength, power, health, virtue, validity, vitality, stamina, vigour, potency, hardiness, sturdiness, impregnability

2. liking, appetite, penchant, soft spot, passion, inclination, fondness, predilection, proclivity, partiality, proneness Carol has a great weakness for ice cream.
liking dislike, hatred, loathing, aversion

3. powerlessness, vulnerability, impotence, meekness, irresolution, spinelessness, ineffectuality, timorousness, cravenness, cowardliness People are always taking advantage of his weakness.

4. inadequacy, deficiency, transparency, lameness, hollowness, implausibility, flimsiness, unsoundness, tenuousness She was quick to spot the weakness in his argument.

5. failing, fault, defect, deficiency, flaw, shortcoming, blemish, imperfection, Achilles' heel, chink in your armour, lack His main weakness was his violent temper.
failing advantage, strength, forte, strong point

Related words
fear asthenophobia

Proverbs
"A chain is no stronger than its weakest link"

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

weakness

noun

1. The condition of being infirm or physically weak:

debility, decrepitude, delicacy, delicateness, feebleness, flimsiness, fragileness, fragility, frailness, frailty, infirmity, insubstantiality, puniness, unsoundness, unsubstantiality, weakliness.

2. An imperfection of character:

failing, fault, foible, frailty, infirmity, shortcoming, weak point.

3. A liking for something:

appetite, fondness, partiality, preference, relish, taste.

Translations

ضَعْفنُقْطَة ضَعْف

slabost

svaghed

Schwäche Fehler

αδυναμία

debilidad

heikkousvoimattomuus

faiblesse infirmité abattement faible

slabost

òróttleysiveikleiki

debolezza gracilità avere un debole per ...

弱いこと

허약

šibkostslabost

svaghet

ความอ่อนแอ

zayıflıkgüçsüzlükkusur noksan

sự yếu ớt

虚弱弱点

weakness

[ˈwiːknɪs] N

1. (in body) → debilidad f; [of bone, fingernail] → fragilidad f; [of structure] → falta f de solidez, lo endeble

2. (= ineffectuality) [of person] → falta f de carácter; [of government, management] → flaqueza f, debilidad f

3. (= weak point) → punto m débil

4. (= soft spot) → debilidad f
I'm afraid doughnuts are my weakness → me temo que los donuts son mi debilidad
to have a weakness for sth → tener debilidad por algo

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

weakness

[ˈwiːknəs] n

(= lack of physical strength) → faiblesse f

(= failing) → faiblesse f
the strengths and weaknesses of sth → les forces et les faiblesses de qch
to have a weakness for sth (= liking) → avoir un faible pour qch

[economy, currency] → faiblesse fweak-willed [ˌwiːkˈwɪld] adj → velléitaire

weakness

n (all senses) → Schwäche f; (= weak point) → schwacher Punkt; the opposition criticized the weakness of the party’s manifesto → die Opposition kritisierte, wie schwach das Wahlprogramm der Partei sei; to have a weakness for something → für etw eine Schwäche or Vorliebe haben

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

weakness

[ˈwiːknɪs] n → debolezza
chocolate is one of my weaknesses → il cioccolato è una delle mie passioni
to have a weakness for sth → avere un debole per qc

weak

(wiːk) adjective

1. lacking in physical strength. Her illness has made her very weak.

2. not strong in character. I'm very weak when it comes to giving up cigarettes.

3. (of a liquid) diluted; not strong. weak tea.

4. (of an explanation etc) not convincing.

5. (of a joke) not particularly funny.

ˈweakly adverb

ˈweaken verb

to (cause to) become weak, especially in physical strength or character. The patient has weakened; The strain of the last few days has weakened him.

ˈweakling (-liŋ) noun

a weak person, animal, or plant. She married a weakling.

ˈweakness noun

1. the state of being weak.

2. something weak or faulty; a defect. weaknesses of character; Smoking is one of my weaknesses.

have a weakness for

to have a liking for. She has a weakness for chocolate biscuits.

weakness

→ ضَعْف slabost svaghed Schwäche αδυναμία debilidad heikkous faiblesse slabost debolezza 弱いこと 허약 zwakte svakhet słabość fraqueza слабость svaghet ความอ่อนแอ zayıflık sự yếu ớt 虚弱

weak·ness

n. debilidad, debilitamiento, flojera, flaqueza.

weakness

n debilidad f