weakness

• weakenes (obsolete)

From Middle English wayknesse, weykenesse, replacing earlier Middle English wocnesse, wakenes, wacnesse (“weakness”), from Old English wācnes (“weakness”). Equivalent to weak +‎ -ness.

• IPA^(key): /ˈwiːk.nəs/

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weakness (countable and uncountable, plural weaknesses)

2. (uncountable) The condition of being weak.

   Antonyms: strength, power, powerfulness; invulnerability, invincibility

   Coordinate terms: powerlessness, impotence, incapacity

   Near-synonyms: debility, frailty, vulnerability; vincibility

   In a small number of horses, muscle weakness may progress to paralysis.

4. (countable) An inadequate quality; fault.

   Synonyms: defect, flaw, hole

   Antonyms: strength, forte

   Hyponyms: weak spot, soft spot, Achilles heel

   His inability to speak in front of an audience was his weakness.

   The only weakness in her plan was its reliance on the electricity being up and running.

   • 1963, Margery Allingham, “Eye Witness”, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC, page 249:

     The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness, mean and embarrassing and sad.

   • 2013 January 22, Phil McNulty, “Aston Villa 2-1 Bradford (3-4)”, in BBC:

     Bradford had preyed on Villa's inability to defend set pieces, corners in particular, in their first-leg win and took advantage of the weakness again as Hanson equalised to restore their two-goal aggregate lead.

   • 2013, Deborah Hay, My Body, The Buddhist, →ISBN, page 78:

     The compulsion to expose, renegotiate, or reinvent the strengths and weaknesses of dance tradition offers little in its final outcome to attract the average dance-goer.

   • 2020 July 1, Paul Stephen, “Vital Connections”, in Rail, page 41:

     Such a male-dominated environment is also likely to contribute to the lingering presence of an outdated belief that expressing feelings and demonstrating emotion is a sign of weakness, deterring some men from discussing their problems.

6. (countable) A special fondness or obsessing desire.

   Synonym: soft spot

   She is an athlete who has a weakness for chocolate.

• “weakness”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “weakness”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.