Short-term effects of smoking include unfitness, wheezing, a general vulnerability to illness, bad breath, bad skin and so on.
Source: tatoeba (19959)
Vulnerability
/ˌvʌln(ə)ɹəˈbɪləti/
Synonyms for "vulnerability" (94 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (19)
Strong matches (28)
Noun(13 words)
emotional exposureemotional opennessemotional susceptibilityexposeexposuresfeeblenessflawfragilityfrailnessfrailtiesglitcheshigh collapsibilityinsecurity
Adjective(1 words)
fragile reef ecosystem
Related words (47)
jeopardylacerabilitylack of preparationliabilitynonpreparationnonpreparednessopennesspenetrabilityperilplanlessnesspregnabilitysoft spotsusceptibilitysusceptivityunfitnessunfittednessunpreparednessunqualificationunqualifiednessunreadiness
Show 9 more words
Noun(16 words)
logjamloopholeloopholesnakednessrisksecurity flawsecurity gapsensitivitysensitivity to emotionstream cipher algorithmsusceptibilityunderbelliesunprotectionvictimizationvulnerablenessweakness
Adjective(1 words)
technological interdependence
Verb(1 words)
weaken defenses
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: exposure, achilles, ad lib, assailability, breachability.
- Sentence evidence is available for vulnerability, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wordnet, opengloss, derived_reverse, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "vulnerability".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "vulnerability"
Keep "vulnerability" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "vulnerability" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "vulnerability", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "vulnerability" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
7 entriesMore specific
10 entriesSQL injectionattachment vulnerabilitybuffer overflowclinical vulnerabilitycross site scriptingecological vulnerabilityeconomic vulnerabilityinterpersonal vulnerabilityromantic vulnerabilitystructural vulnerability
Collocations
5 entriessecurity vulnerabilitysystem vulnerabilityvulnerability assessmentvulnerability disclosurevulnerability management
Inflections
1 entriesDerivations
1 entriesAntonyms
1 entriesTranslations
4 translations across 4 languages.
Finnish
1 entries- heikkous noun (specific weakness)
Galician
1 entries- vulnerabilidade noun (specific weakness)
Greek
1 entries- αδυναμία noun (specific weakness)
Spanish
1 entries- vulnerabilidad noun (specific weakness)
Sample sentences
14 total sentences available.
Despite her hard exterior, she had a certain vulnerability that made her quite endearing.
Source: tatoeba (593743)
Embrace your vulnerability, feel your fear, love fully.
Source: tatoeba (703261)
The Northwest’s economy, infrastructure, natural systems, public health, and agriculture sectors all face important climate change related risks. Impacts on infrastructure, natural systems, human health, and economic sectors, combined with issues of social and ecological vulnerability, will unfold quite differently in largely natural areas, like the Cascade Range, than in urban areas like Seattle and Portland or among the region’s many Native American Tribes.
Source: tatoeba (3651105)
Showing 4 of 14 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "vulnerability"?
Closest matches include exposure, achilles, ad lib, assailability, breachability.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "vulnerability"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.