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Definition of weakness noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

weakness

noun
 
/ˈwiːknəs/
 
/ˈwiːknəs/
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  1. [uncountable] lack of physical strength
    • The disease causes progressive muscle weakness.
    • weakness in something The sudden weakness in her legs made her stumble.
    opposite strength (1)
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • big
    • fundamental
    • great
    verb + weakness
    • have
    • suffer from
    • cause
    weakness + verb
    • be
    • lie
    preposition
    • weakness in
    phrases
    • a moment of weakness
    • a sign of weakness
    • strengths and weaknesses
    See full entry
  2. [uncountable] lack of power, influence or strength of character
    • He thought that crying was a sign of weakness.
    • Asking for help would be an admission of weakness.
    • the underlying weakness of the coalition's position
    • In a moment of weakness (= when I was easily persuaded) I let him drive my car.
    opposite strength (3)
    Extra Examples
    • He saw compromise as a sign of weakness.
    • a position of relative weakness
    • humanity's moral weakness and capacity for evil
    • We are all subject to some form of human weakness.
  3. [countable] a weak point in a system, somebody’s character, etc.
    • It's important to know your own strengths and weaknesses.
    • to expose/reveal/identify/highlight a weakness
    • The prime minister can exploit these weaknesses to her advantage.
    • A weakness of this approach was that contact with participants was minimal.
    • weakness in something Can you spot the weakness in her argument?
    opposite strength (6)
    Extra Examples
    • There are a number of weaknesses in this approach.
    • We all have our weaknesses.
    • Try to consider the relative strengths and weaknesses of your work.
    • You need to be aware of your own strengths and weaknesses.
    • Young recruits were urged to overcome their own innate weaknesses.
    • The fundamental weakness of the organization is its lack of effective communication.
    • She admits that her love of luxury is one of her greatest weaknesses.
    • Certain structural weaknesses have to be overcome before the economy can recover.
    • the primary methodological weakness of this study
    • business leaders who refuse to admit their weaknesses
    • They know their strengths and weaknesses.
    • The team doesn't have any glaring weaknesses.
    • The management had to address specific weaknesses in training.
    • The criminals exploit apparent weaknesses in the system.
    • She didn't seem to have any obvious weaknesses.
    • The appraisal system seeks to assess employees' strengths and weaknesses.
    • Service conditions soon revealed the inherent weaknesses in the vehicle's design.
    • Make companies aware of potential weaknesses so they know what steps to take.
    • The greatest weakness of the plan lies in its lack of government support.
    • a fatal weakness in his theory
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • big
    • fundamental
    • great
    verb + weakness
    • have
    • suffer from
    • cause
    weakness + verb
    • be
    • lie
    preposition
    • weakness in
    phrases
    • a moment of weakness
    • a sign of weakness
    • strengths and weaknesses
    See full entry
  4. [uncountable] weakness (of something) (against something) how weak a country's currency is in relation to other countries' currencies
    • the weakness of the dollar against the pound
    opposite strength (9)
  5. [countable, usually singular] weakness (for something/somebody) difficulty in resisting something/somebody that you like very much
    • He has a weakness for chocolate.
    Extra Examples
    • He worries a lot about his weight, but can't overcome his weakness for fatty foods.
    • I have a real weakness for chocolate.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • real
    verb + weakness
    • have
    • develop
    • overcome
    preposition
    • weakness for
    See full entry
See weakness in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee weakness in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
sufficiently
adverb
 
 
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