From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishvulnerablevul‧ne‧ra‧ble /ˈvʌlnərəbəl/ ●●○ W3 adjective 1 WEAKsomeone who is vulnerable can be easily harmed or hurt OPP invulnerable He took advantage of me when I was at my most vulnerable. We work mainly with the elderly and other vulnerable groups.be vulnerable to something Children are most vulnerable to abuse within their own home.2 ATTACKa place, thing, or idea that is vulnerable is easy to attack or criticize OPP invulnerablevulnerable to The fort was vulnerable to attack from the north. Their theories were badly thought out and very vulnerable to ridicule. —vulnerably adverb —vulnerability /ˌvʌlnərəˈbɪləti/ noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
vulnerable• The bridge is extremely vulnerable.• Ground floor windows are particularly vulnerable and secure locks should be fitted.• a small vulnerable child in need of protection• But although the more vulnerable of the two, Eleanor may be the more complex.• The most vulnerable person here is your 15-year-old son.• I've been feeling very vulnerable since we broke up.• The virus leaves sufferers vulnerable to a range of infections.• We're vulnerable to another takeover bid, especially if there's another recession.• The tanks' positions made them vulnerable to enemy gunfire.• I was vulnerable to everyone and everything.• The Western hemisphere would soon be in range of and vulnerable to Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles, carrying megaton warheads.• Wild animals are at their most vulnerable when they are asleep.• His victims are vulnerable women whom he can control.• His victims are vulnerable young women.be vulnerable to something• We also need to be aware that under pressure, all of us are vulnerable to alcohol misuse and even addiction.• She knows her party is vulnerable to any hint of being kind to crooked capitalists.• But the flat tax is vulnerable to attack on the details.• But because the platform would be vulnerable to attack, one official said, the idea appears unlikely to be adopted.• This short case-study shows the extent to which a multi-plant set of factories is vulnerable to continuing change.• Spacecraft electronics systems are vulnerable to damage by high-energy charged particles and are at particular risk during magnetic storms.• Now all they have is thick, wet soil that is vulnerable to erosion from all-too-frequent storms.• APCs were vulnerable to smaller mines, and trucks or jeeps were obviously in even more danger.vulnerable to• Inconsistencies in the theory make it vulnerable to criticism.• Girls in their early teens are particularly vulnerable to negative influences.Origin vulnerable (1600-1700) Late Latin vulnerabilis, from Latin vulnus “wound” 