weakness

weak·ness  (wkns)

n.

1. The condition or quality of being weak.

2. A personal defect or failing.

3.

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.

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weakness [ˈwiːknɪs]

n

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

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Weakness 

See Also: HELPLESSNESS, INSULTS, PERSONAL TRAITS, SOFTNESS

1. Arms felt like spaghetti —Dan Wakefield
2. As much strength as a seaweed —Ann Beattie
3. (A poor weak rag of a man with a) backbone like a piece of string —Dorothy Canfield Fisher
4. Boneless as poured water —George Garrett
5. Diminished and flat, as after radical surgery —Sylvia Plath
6. (The great white sails of the ships were) drooping like weary wings —Mazo De La Roche
7. Feeble as a babe —Ted Hughes
8. Feel as if I’m strung together by threads that pop and snap —Rosellen Brown
9. Feel diluted, like watered-down stew —Susan Minot
10. 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
11. Felt as if my legs had turned to warm lead —Stephen King
12. Forceful as a wet noodle —Anon
13. Forceless as a child —Aeschylus
14. 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.

15. Knees like liquid —Elizabeth Spencer
16. (The man sprawls … spent, empty) limp as a drowned man tossed on the sand —George Garrett
17. (He was) limp as laundry —W. P. Kinsella
18. (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
19. Looking like an advertisement for jelly —Mike Fredman
20. My legs felt as if … made of two lengths of rope —George Garrett
21. No more backbone than a chocolate eclair —Theodore Roosevelt

    Roosevelt coined this simile about President McKinley when he was Secretary of the Navy.

22. She was like an overstretched bow, almost breaking —Stephen French Whitman
23. Softened and weakened, like a wax doll left too near the flame —George Garrett
24. Strength running out of him like sawdust —Vicki Baum
25. Was washed out like a disemboweled sack —Aharon Megged
26. Weak as a broken arm —Raymond Chandler
27. 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.

28. Weak as an nonagenarian —T. Coraghessan Boyle
29. (He’s as) weak as a stick —Mary Lee Settle

    In Settle’s novel, Celebration, the simile relates to emotional weakness.

30. Weak as water —The Holy Bible/Ezkiel
31. Weak … like a cream puff with the cream squeezed out —Tom Robbins
32. Weak, like a moth newly broken out from its chrysalis —E. F. Benson

Thesaurus

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"

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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"

Translations

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

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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 f
weak-willed [ˌwiːkˈwɪld] adj → velléitaire

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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

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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

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weakness → ضعف slabost svaghed Schwäche αδυναμία debilidad heikkous faiblesse slabost debolezza 弱いこと 허약 zwakte svakhet słabość fraqueza слабость svaghet ความอ่อนแอ zayıflık điểm yếu 虚弱