foible
noun
Janna Malamud Smith
Did you know?
In the 1600s, English speakers borrowed the French word foible to refer to the weakest part of the sword or foil, that part being the portion between the middle and the pointed tip. Despite the superficial resemblance, foible does not come from foil. The French foible was an adjective meaning "weak." (That French word, which is now obsolete, is derived from the same Old French term, feble, which gave us feeble.) The English foible soon came to be applied not only to weaknesses in blades but also to minor failings in character. It appeared in print with that use in the 17th century, and now the "character flaw" sense is considerably more popular than the original sword application.
Synonyms
- demerit
- dereliction
- failing
- fault
- frailty
- shortcoming
- sin
- vice
- want
- weakness
Example Sentences
Manvir Singh, Wired, 14 July 2022 With every Michigan foible, Georgia’s offense grew bolder and more explosive. Laine Higgins, WSJ, 1 Jan. 2022 Jones happily recites the joke using the other word, and the two men laugh, having been caught in a foible of their profession. Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2021 At a time when any foible can now be airbrushed, edited, filtered or just plain omitted at will, the idea of imperfection as asset is a refreshing one. Courtney Lichterman, Robb Report, 27 May 2021 This is how a technological wonder like the USS Ford gets converted from an alliance-boosting example of American technological prowess at sea to an embarrassing, over-budget disaster—a geopolitical foible that only benefits American rivals. Craig Hooper, Forbes, 13 May 2021 No filmmaker has a better handle on the ridiculous foibles of the English upper-middle class. David Sims, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2020 In a world obsessed with human foibles (and books about them), why wouldn’t politicians believe that the public—cue Jack Nicholson—can’t handle the truth? David Wolman, Wired, 27 Mar. 2020 Yet, while Howard trafficked in the foibles and misdeeds of marquee names, questions about his own conduct faced internal scrutiny in 2012. Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2020 See More Word History
obsolete French (now faible), from obsolete foible weak, from Old French feble feeble
circa 1648, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
foible
noun
foible
noun
Synonyms & Similar Words
- weakness
- shortcoming
- fault
- sin
- deficiency
- failing
- vice
- frailty
- demerit
- sinfulness
- flaw
- imperfection
- evil
- dereliction
- feet of clay
- want
- blemish
- blot
- stain
- minus
- nit
- immorality
- corruption
- soft spot
- spot
- wickedness
- depravity
- Achilles' heel
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- virtue
- merit
- excellence
- perfection
- morality
- integrity
- goodness
- righteousness
- rectitude
- probity
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of foible are failing, fault, frailty, and vice. While all these words mean "an imperfection or weakness of character," foible applies to a harmless or endearing weakness or idiosyncrasy.
While in some cases nearly identical to foible, failing suggests a minor shortcoming in character.
The words fault and foible can be used in similar contexts, but fault implies a failure, not necessarily culpable, to reach some standard of perfection in disposition, action, or habit.
The words frailty and foible are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, frailty implies a general or chronic proneness to yield to temptation.
Although the words vice and foible have much in common, vice can be a general term for any imperfection or weakness, but it often suggests violation of a moral code or the giving of offense to the moral sensibilities of others.