Synonyms for vulnerable
- adjective
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
1. Exposed to attack
weak, susceptible, insecure, unguarded, helpless, exposed, defenseless US, defenceless UK, powerless, unprotected, delicate, soft, tender, assailable, liable, flimsy, woundable
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
More or most likely to be exposed to the chance of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.
You are vulnerable to be bullied by someone at school.
Related words
- Word family
- vulnerability vulnerableness
Example sentences
- insecure Sami doesn't understand why Layla is so insecure.
- helpless Ivan was lying on the floor, injured and helpless.
- susceptible Northern Algeria is susceptible to earthquakes.
- unguarded They leave the boats unguarded.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| vulnerable | rising | |
| insecure | rising | |
| helpless | rising | |
| susceptible | falling | |
| unguarded | rising | |
| penetrable | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- weak1, soft1
- 6 letters
- tender2, liable3, flimsy2
- 7 letters
- exposed2
- 8 letters
- delicate3, insecure3, helpless2
- 9 letters
- powerless3, unguarded3, woundable
- 10 letters
- penetrable, assailable
- 11 letters
- susceptible4, unprotected4, defenseless3, defenceless
- 12 letters
- indefensible5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (tender2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- vulnérable
- Italiano
- vulnerabile
- Español
- vulnerable
- Deutsch
- verletzlich