Word
weakness
Phoneticsweak·ness, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈwiknəs/
UK/wˈiːknəs/
Definitions
01lack of strength
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the state of not being strong, either in your body or your character.
n. the state or condition of lacking physical strength, mental resolve, or moral power.
“After the long illness, he felt a great deal of weakness in his legs.”
“The regime's inherent weakness became apparent when it failed to respond effectively to the initial wave of peaceful protests.”
Usage
uncountable in this general sense
Antonyms
02a fault or defect
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a specific part of someone's character or a thing that is not good enough.
n. a specific flaw, shortcoming, or disadvantage in a person, argument, or object.
日本語:弱点※
“The coach pointed out several weaknesses in the team's defense.”
“While the essay was well-researched, its primary weakness lay in the author's failure to address conflicting evidence from recent studies.”
Usage
countable; often used when evaluating performance or plans
03a special fondness
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a strong liking for something that you find hard to resist, even if it is not good for you.
n. a particular fondness or inability to resist something indulgent.
“I have a real weakness for chocolate cake after dinner.”
“Despite his disciplined lifestyle, he confessed to having a lifelong weakness for expensive Italian leather shoes.”
Usage
usually follows the pattern 'a weakness for [something]'
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “weakness” in context.
Verb
01. identify weakness
“The manager met with each employee to identify weaknesses in the current workflow.”
verb + noun
02. weakness identify
Real-World Examples
“I like all of these politicians and their campaign people, see their strengths and weaknesses, and always try to remember they are human.” “That tension exposed a weakness in the early generations of machine-based search.” “Madrid says any weakness in hiring reflects more than the impact of AI.” Etymology
From Middle English wayknesse, weykenesse, replacing earlier Middle English wocnesse, wakenes, wacnesse (“weakness”), from Old English wācnes (“weakness”). Equivalent to weak + -ness.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/weakness
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0