Vulnerable (Adjective)

Meaning ¹

Capable of being wounded or hurt; "vulnerable parts of the body".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The patient's elderly body was particularly vulnerable to infection after the surgery.
• Children's eyes are vulnerable to damage from UV radiation, so they should wear sunglasses outdoors.
• The vulnerable soles of her feet were hurting after walking barefoot on the rocky beach.
• Her knee was vulnerable to injury after the previous ligament strain.
• The doctor reminded the patient that the skin on her nose was still vulnerable to the sun after the skin cancer surgery.

Related Words

• Vulnerability (noun)

Meaning ²

Susceptible to criticism or persuasion or temptation; "vulnerable to bribery"; "an argument vulnerable to refutation".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• Her new employee was vulnerable to his persuasion, and he easily convinced her to work overtime.
• The judge felt that the young defendant was vulnerable to outside influences and sentenced him to community service instead of prison.
• His weak argument was vulnerable to criticism and was quickly refuted by his opponent.
• She was vulnerable to temptation and found herself repeatedly overspending on clothes and jewelry.
• The jury was vulnerable to sympathy and ultimately found the defendant not guilty despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.

Related Words

• Vulnerability (noun)

Meaning ³

Susceptible to attack; "a vulnerable bridge".

Classification

All adjective clusters.

Examples

• The country's coastline is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and tsunamis.
• The small village was vulnerable to raids by neighboring tribes.
• The old, worn-out lock made the door vulnerable to being picked.
• The city's outdated water treatment system made it vulnerable to contamination.
• The single-lane bridge was vulnerable to collapse under heavy traffic.

Antonyms

• Invulnerable

Related Words

• Vulnerability (noun)