vulnerable

adjective

vul·​ner·​a·​ble ˈvəl-n(ə-)rə-bəl 

ˈvəl-nər-bəl

1

: capable of being physically or emotionally wounded

2

: open to attack or damage : assailable

vulnerable to criticism

3

: liable to increased penalties but entitled to increased bonuses after winning a game in contract bridge

vulnerability

ˌvəl-n(ə-)rə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

vulnerableness

ˈvəl-n(ə-)rə-bəl-nəs 

ˈvəl-nər-bəl-

noun

vulnerably

ˈvəl-n(ə-)rə-blē 

ˈvəl-nər-blē

adverb

Did you know?

The History of Vulnerable

Superheroes are often depicted in comic books and movies as all-powerful, deflecting boulders and missiles in mid-air with a flick of the wrist, walking through walls, and having indestructible skeletons and whatnot. Fans know, however, that even the mightiest, meatiest protagonist is vulnerable to something, be it kryptonite or forgetting the whereabouts of one’s hammer. Vulnerable ultimately comes from the Latin noun vulnus, meaning “wound,” by way of the Late Latin adjective vulnerabilis, which English speakers adopted as vulnerable in the early 1600s. Vulnerable continues to carry its original meaning of “capable of being physically wounded,” but since the late 1600s it has also been used figuratively to suggest a defenselessness against non-physical attacks. In other words, someone (or something) can be vulnerable to criticism or failure as well as to literal wounding—even superheroes. So don’t go breaking their hearts, even if you can’t break their bones.

Synonyms

• endangered
• exposed
• liable
• open
• sensitive
• subject (to)
• susceptible

Examples of vulnerable in a Sentence

He was very vulnerable after his divorce.

The troops were in a vulnerable position.

The fort was undefended and vulnerable.

Recent Examples on the Web

Actress Jennifer Coolidge won an Emmy for her comic, kooky yet vulnerable turn in 2022, one of five Emmies won by the White Lotus. —Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025

Newsom was met with a mix of praise and criticism, including from fellow state Democrats who accused the governor of abandoning a vulnerable minority group. —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2025

Gray is one of the most vulnerable Democrats in Congress. —Lia Russell, Sacramento Bee, 7 Mar. 2025

But the fun doesn’t detract from the character’s shallowness (even at her most vulnerable, as Trigorin acknowledges his feelings for Nina, her pleas to him seem scripted, something she’s acted before) or the terrible damage that her lack of care inflicts upon her son. —Demetrios Matheou, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin vulnerabilis, from Latin vulnerare to wound, from vulner-, vulnus wound; probably akin to Latin vellere to pluck, Greek oulē wound

First Known Use

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for vulnerable

• invulnerable

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Kids Definition

vulnerable

adjective

vul·​ner·​a·​ble ˈvəln-(ə-)rə-bəl 

ˈvəl-nər-bəl

1

: capable of being physically or emotionally wounded

2

: open to attack or damage

a vulnerable position

vulnerability

ˌvəln-(ə-)rə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

vulnerable

adjective

vul·​ner·​a·​ble ˈvəln-(ə-)rə-bəl, ˈvəl-nər-bəl 

: capable of being hurt : susceptible to injury or disease

the liver is itself vulnerable to nutritional impairment

—The Journal of the American Medical Association

vulnerability

ˌvəln-(ə-)rə-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural vulnerabilities