Achilles' heel

A·chil·les' heel

 (ə-kĭl′ēz)

n.

A seemingly small but actually crucial weakness.

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[From Achilles' being vulnerable only in the heel.]

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.

Achilles' heel

A weakness that may not seem important but is actually mortal. The ancient Greek hero Achilles was made invulnerable by being dipped in the river Styx as a child. His mother held him by the heel, which was not dipped, and it was a wound there that killed him.

Dictionary of Unfamiliar Words by Diagram Group Copyright © 2008 by Diagram Visual Information Limited

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Achilles' heel - a seemingly small but actual mortal weakness soft spot, weak part, weak spot - a place of especial vulnerability

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.