woundable

woundable

A small child is woundable and must be protected.

Definition
  1. Adjective:
    • Susceptible to injury: "woundable" describes a person, animal, or entity that is capable of being physically injured or harmed.
    • Emotionally vulnerable: By extension, it can refer to someone who is easily hurt emotionally or psychologically.
Usage Examples

  • Physical sense:

    • The soldier knew his exposed position made him woundable. (He was susceptible to physical injury.)
    • Even the toughest armor leaves certain areas woundable. (Some parts remain vulnerable to attack.)

  • Emotional sense:

    • After the breakup, she felt unusually woundable and sensitive. (She was emotionally vulnerable.)
    • His pride made him woundable to criticism. (He was easily hurt by negative remarks.)
Advanced Usage
  • "woundable to": followed by a specific source of harm.
    • The ancient structure was woundable to erosion. (It was susceptible to damage from erosion.)
    • Children are especially woundable to emotional trauma. (They are vulnerable to psychological harm.)
Variants and Related Words

  • Wound (n/v): an injury to living tissue, or to cause such an injury.

    • The knife wound required stitches. (A physical injury.)
    • Her words wound him deeply. (To cause emotional pain.)

  • Woundable (adj): the base form; no common variants exist beyond this.

Synonyms
  • Vulnerable: open to physical or emotional harm.
  • Susceptible: likely to be affected by something.
  • Exposed: not protected from harm.
  • Sensitive: easily affected by external factors (especially emotional).
Antonyms
  • Invulnerable: immune to harm or injury.
  • Protected: shielded from damage.
  • Resilient: able to recover quickly from harm.
Related Idioms

  • "Achilles' heel": a hidden weakness or vulnerable spot.

    • His temper was his Achilles' heel, making him woundable in arguments. (His weakness made him easily hurt.)

  • "Sitting duck": an easy target for attack or criticism.

    • Without a shield, he was a sitting duck — completely woundable. (He was an easy target.)
Grammar Notes
  • "Woundable" is a rare adjective, most often used in formal or literary contexts. It is not commonly found in everyday speech, where "vulnerable" or "susceptible" are preferred. The word follows standard adjective usage: it can be modified by adverbs (e.g., , ) and used predicatively (e.g., ).