vulnerable

American  

[vuhl-ner-uh-buhl] / ˈvʌl nər ə bəl /

adjective

1. capable of or susceptible to being attacked, damaged, or hurt.

   a vulnerable part of the body;

   vulnerable to predators;

   a company vulnerable to a hostile takeover.

2. open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc..

   That is an argument vulnerable to refutation.

   He is vulnerable to bribery.

3. (of a place) open to assault; difficult to defend.

   a vulnerable bridge.

4. willing to show emotion or to allow one’s weaknesses to be seen or known.

   Men and boys are rarely seen as vulnerable.

5. (of a person or population) needing supportive or protective social services and community resources because of advanced age, poverty, disability, etc.

6. Bridge. having won one of the games of a rubber.

7. Biology, Ecology. (of a threatened plant or animal species) likely to be classified endangered in the near future unless circumstances that threaten reproduction and survival improve, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: VU

   At least 15 percent of our vulnerable reptiles are turtles.

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vulnerable British  

/ ˈvʌlnərəbəl /

adjective

1. capable of being physically or emotionally wounded or hurt

2. open to temptation, persuasion, censure, etc

3. liable or exposed to disease, disaster, etc

4. military liable or exposed to attack

5. bridge (of a side who have won one game towards rubber) subject to increased bonuses or penalties

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Other Word Forms

• unvulnerable adjective
• vulnerability noun
• vulnerableness noun
• vulnerably adverb

Etymology

Origin of vulnerable

First recorded in 1610–20; from Late Latin vulnerābilis “injurious, wounding,” equivalent to Latin vulnerā(re) “to wound” + -bilis; see -ble

Explanation

Use the adjective vulnerable to describe something or someone open to being physically or emotionally wounded, like a newborn chick or an overly sensitive teenager. Vulnerable is from Latin and is based on vulnus, "wound." From its literal meaning, it has come to be more often used for someone who is easily hurt or likely to succumb to temptation. It's best used for a person whose feelings are so delicate that they can't withstand any criticism or pressure: "Don't speak harshly to her, she's very vulnerable today."

Example Sentences

Patients who lack the ability to access this diversity-generating process—including those suffering from a condition known as hyper IgM—remain dangerously vulnerable to infection and often require antibody infusions for life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026

And they were unaware, or unconcerned, that that chemical was wreaking havoc on the soil, weakening the trees’ defenses, leaving them extremely vulnerable to disease.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

"You think it happens to vulnerable people, to the elderly, but it's not just them."

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

Additional studies are planned using other samples, including one taken closer to the edge of Prudhoe Dome, which may reveal the ice cap's most vulnerable areas.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

I never could get used to seeing him without them, that naked, vulnerable look he always had.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

Related Words

• accessible
• defenseless
• exposed
• liable
• ready
• sensitive
• susceptible
• unsafe
• weak