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vulnerable

vul·ner·a·ble

vulnerable

 
 
pronunciation:
vuhl n r bl
features:
Word Combinations (adjective), Word Explorer
part of speech: adjective
definition 1: being capable of being hurt or injured; having weakness.
These plants are delicate and highly vulnerable to frost.Abuse from his father as a child had left him feeling vulnerable as an adult.The candidates want people to believe that they are strong and not vulnerable.
synonyms:
defenseless
antonyms:
invincible, invulnerable, safe, strong
similar words:
helpless, powerless, precarious, sensitive, susceptible, tender, thin-skinned, touchy, unprotected, weak
definition 2: open to attack or danger.
Out in the open and without camouflage, the troops were highly vulnerable.The towns on the coast are vulnerable to hurricanes.
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synonyms:
defenseless, exposed, naked, pregnable, unguarded, unprotected
antonyms:
impregnable, invulnerable, unassailable
similar words:
accessible, assailable, insecure, liable, open, out on a limb, penetrable, uncovered
definition 3: open to criticism or censure.
The discovery of the mayor's earlier drug use left him vulnerable to the press.He had blundered and was now vulnerable to criticism.
antonyms:
impregnable, unassailable
similar words:
liable, out on a limb, subject, susceptible
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derivations: vulnerably (adv.), vulnerability (n.)
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