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Vulnerable

Susceptible to physical or emotional harm; easily affected by danger, attack, or distress.

adjective

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Imagine This

Picture a delicate glass statue placed near a busy street. A light breeze and a stray hand could shatter it—it's highly vulnerable to every little threat.

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Sounds Like

VULL-nuh-ruh-buhl

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Looks Like

Looks like related forms such as vulnerability and vulnerableness; shares the same root 'vuln' (wound).

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Remember This

Root comes from Latin vulnerabilis 'woundable', from vulnus 'wound'; in English it commonly pairs with 'to' (vulnerable to something).

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Other Forms

vulnerabilitynoun

vulnerablenessnoun

vulnerablyadverb

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Connect With

susceptible, exposed, risk, defenseless, fragile, endangered, insecure

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Note

Do not confuse with invulnerable (immune to harm). Use 'vulnerable to' with threats like disease, attack, or criticism. Also note the common noun form 'vulnerability'.

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Study Deeper

Examples

The coastal town remained vulnerable to flooding during the rainy season.
Young and elderly residents are particularly vulnerable to cold snaps.

Synonyms

susceptibleexposeddefenselessfragileopen to harm

Antonyms

invulnerableprotectedsecure

Etymology

From Latin vulnerabilis 'woundable', from vulnus 'wound' + -abilis 'able'; entered English via Old French vulnerable.

Mnemonic

VULNERABLE = VULN-ER-ABLE. VULN = wound; ER = the one who experiences; ABLE = capable of being. A woundable person is someone who is able to be wounded.

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Toxic

adjective

Poisonous; capable of causing harm to living beings. It is also used figuratively to describe something harmful, destructive, or dangerous in a non-physical sense (for example, a toxic relationship).