vulnerable
adjective
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.
Examples of vulnerable in a Sentence
Chris Megerian, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2025
Immigrants are already vulnerable to other forms of abuse, particularly from landlords or employers.
—Sam Tabachnik, Denver Post, 22 Sep. 2025
Structure information summary Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2025
Written by the Dusters and Larry Keel, the song’s vulnerable lyrics are boosted in particular by banjoist Chris Pandolfi and dobro player Andy Hall, who serve up blistering cascades of banjo and dobro, alongside bandmates Travis Book (double bass), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle) and Andy Falco (guitar).
—Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for vulnerable
Cite this Entry
“Vulnerable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vulnerable. Accessed 26 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vulnerable
adjective
Medical Definition
vulnerable
adjective
The Journal of the American Medical Association
Share