capable of or susceptible to being wounded or hurt, as by a weapon: a vulnerable part of the body.
open to moral attack, criticism, temptation, etc.: an argument vulnerable to refutation; He is vulnerable to bribery.
(of a place) open to assault; difficult to defend: a vulnerable bridge.
Bridge. having won one of the games of a rubber.
Biology, Ecology. (of a threatened plant or animal species) likely to be classified endangered in the near future unless circumstances that threaten reproduction and survival improve, as categorized by the IUCN Red List: At least 15 percent of our vulnerable reptiles are turtles.Abbreviation: VU
Origin of vulnerable
First recorded in 1610–20; from Late Latin vulnerābilis “injurious, wounding,” equivalent to Latin vulnerā(re) “to wound” + -bilis; see -ble
More global production happens in areas that are highly vulnerable to climate change.
COVID-19 and climate change expose the dangers of unstable supply chains|matthewheimer|August 27, 2020|Fortune
I’ll keep talking about the issues that matter most to this district as so many vulnerable communities are trying to get through this pandemic and economic crisis.
Gulf Coast refineries and petrochemical plants are often located in low-lying areas vulnerable to flooding.
Hurricane Laura is strengthening to a Category 4 storm, threatening billions of dollars in damage to Gulf Coast energy hub|kdunn6|August 26, 2020|Fortune
It is a controversial approach to the coronavirus pandemic because, in allowing the disease to spread unchecked, it puts more vulnerable groups, like the elderly and immunocompromised, at greater risk of death.
Survey of India’s 9th-largest city finds COVID antibodies in 52% of the population|Naomi Xu Elegant|August 21, 2020|Fortune
Hence, those richly priced FANMAGs, along with other rockets such as Tesla, are highly vulnerable to a steep fall.
The champ’s big comeback: Why beaten-down value stocks are poised to thrive|Shawn Tully|August 18, 2020|Fortune
Social media forces us to not only be vulnerable for our partner but for the whole world.
Random Hook-Ups or Dry Spells: Why Millennials Flunk College Dating|Ellie Schaack|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Plus, his known drug dealings certainly made him vulnerable to blackmail.
The Deal With Serial’s Jay? He’s Pissed Off, Mucks Up Our Timeline|Emily Shire|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They were individuals who were vulnerable to being recruited.
What the U.S. Can Learn from Europe About Dealing with Terrorists|Scott Beauchamp|December 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
They come from all walks of life but they have two key things in common: They are vulnerable and they are living with HIV.
The New Face of HIV Is Gay & Young|Adebisi Alimi|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Generally, the foreigner is a class of person often aligned with other vulnerable populations like widows and orphans.
Pope Bids Refugees to EU ‘Bienvenido’; Europe Says ‘Non’|Candida Moss|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Any time you had a cipher, you were vulnerable to someone smarter than you coming up with a way of breaking it.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
Did he look such a vulnerable person, he asked himself with a sense of dismay.
A Bottle in the Smoke|Milne Rae
It stirred the heart, making it vulnerable to impulses from some brighter, happier state she knew instinctively and in advance.
The Promise of Air|Algernon Blackwood
War in one of its worst forms raged at all the most vulnerable points of Narragansett Bay.
A short history of Rhode Island|George Washington Greene
There was one place—with him in the heel—where he was vulnerable, and through that he fell.
The Ascent of the Soul|Amory H. Bradford
British Dictionary definitions for vulnerable
vulnerable
/ (ˈvʌlnərəbəl) /
adjective
capable of being physically or emotionally wounded or hurt
open to temptation, persuasion, censure, etc
liable or exposed to disease, disaster, etc
militaryliable or exposed to attack
bridge(of a side who have won one game towards rubber) subject to increased bonuses or penalties
accessible, exposed, susceptible, unsafe, weak, sensitive, liable, ready, defenseless, assailable, naked, out on a limb, sitting duck, sucker, tender, thin-skinned, unguarded, unprotected, on the line, on the spot