vulnerability

/,vʌlnərə'biliti/

Thân thiện

He felt a deep sense of vulnerability after sharing his story.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • Susceptibility to injury or attack: The quality or state of being easily hurt, harmed, or attacked, either physically or emotionally.
   • The state of being vulnerable or exposed: A condition of being open to danger, criticism, or other negative consequences due to a lack of protection.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The system's vulnerability to cyber attacks was a major concern for the company.
  • Sharing her fears was an act of great emotional vulnerability.
  • The coastal city's vulnerability to hurricanes prompted new building codes.

Advanced Usage

• "To exploit a vulnerability": To take advantage of a weakness or flaw.
  • Hackers often look to exploit a software vulnerability.
• "A point of vulnerability": A specific area or aspect that is weak or exposed.
  • The unguarded rear entrance was a point of vulnerability for the building.

Variants and Related Words

• Vulnerable (adjective): Capable of being physically or emotionally wounded; open to attack or damage.
  • Elderly people are often more vulnerable to severe illness.
• Invulnerability (noun): The quality of being impossible to harm or damage.
  • The hero's apparent invulnerability made him overconfident.

Synonyms

• Susceptibility: The state of being likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing.
• Exposure: The state of having no protection from something harmful.
• Weakness: A flaw or deficient area.

Related Phrases

• Security vulnerability (noun phrase): A flaw in a system that can be exploited to violate security policies.
  • The IT team patched a critical security vulnerability.
• Vulnerability assessment (noun phrase): The process of identifying, quantifying, and prioritizing vulnerabilities in a system.
  • The bank conducts an annual vulnerability assessment.

Related Idioms

• Achilles' heel: A critical weakness or vulnerable point.
  • His pride was his Achilles' heel, his greatest vulnerability.

Học thuật

Noun

1. susceptibility to injury or attack
2. the state of being vulnerable or exposed
   • his vulnerability to litigation
   • his exposure to ridicule

Từ đồng nghĩa

• exposure