Flaw — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈflȯ/

Meaning & Definition of Flaw

Flaw (noun)

  1. a defect in physical structure or form
  2. an imperfection or weakness and especially one that detracts from the whole or hinders effectiveness
  3. fragment
  4. a sudden brief burst of wind; also, a spell of stormy weather
  5. an outburst especially of passion

Flaw (verb)

  1. to make flaws in, mar
  2. to become defective

Flaw (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something that spoils the appearance or completeness of a thing

    "noted the flaw in the diamond before I bought it"

    similar: blemish, blight, blotch, defect, deformity, disfigurement, excrescence, excrescency, fault, imperfection, mar, mark, pockmark, scar
    related: abnormality, distortion, irregularity, malformation, misshape, bug, glitch, kink, blot, blur, spot, stain, taint, damage, defacement, impairment, injury, failing, weakness
    near: adornment, decoration, embellishment, enhancement, ornament

Flaw (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to reduce the soundness, effectiveness, or perfection of

    "that crack has flawed the vase to the extent that its value in the antiques market is greatly reduced"

    similar: blemish, bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up), damage, deface, disfigure, endamage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, mar, spoil, vitiate
    related: deteriorate, enervate, enfeeble, undermine, weaken, erode, scour, wash out, wear (away), blight, tarnish, dent, ding, dint, botch, gum (up), queer, lacerate, wound, disable, hamstring, lame, maim, mangle, mutilate, torment, torture, annihilate, bang up, bash, batter, clobber, crush, dash, decimate, demolish, desolate, destroy, devastate, do in, pulverize, raze, ruin, scourge, shatter, smash, tear down, total, waste, wipe out, wreck
    opposite: doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp
    near: cure, heal, help, rectify, rehabilitate, remedy, edit, remodel, revise, ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

Related Entry: Tragic flaw (noun)

Tragic flaw is a different word from Flaw. The synonyms below are for tragic flaw, not for flaw.

  1. as in hamartia

    similar: hamartia, downfall, ruin, undoing, Achilles' heel, back, chink, jugular, soft spot, underbelly

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Flaw

The most common words with a similar meaning to Flaw:

blemish, blight, blotch, defect, deformity, disfigurement, excrescence, excrescency, fault, imperfection, mar, mark, pockmark, scar, bloody, break, compromise, crab, cripple, cross (up), damage, deface, disfigure, endamage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, spoil, vitiate

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Flaw

Words with the opposite meaning of Flaw:

doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct, renovate, repair, revamp

Related Words for Flaw

abnormality, distortion, irregularity, malformation, misshape, bug, glitch, kink, blot, blur, spot, stain, taint, defacement, impairment, injury, failing, weakness, deteriorate, enervate, enfeeble, undermine, weaken, erode, scour, wash out, wear (away), tarnish, dent, ding

Near Antonyms of Flaw

adornment, decoration, embellishment, enhancement, ornament, cure, heal, help, rectify, rehabilitate, remedy, edit, remodel, revise, ameliorate, better, enhance, enrich, improve, meliorate, perfect, refine

Word Forms of Flaw

Inflections: flawed, flawing, flaws

Origin & Etymology of Flaw

Middle English, flake, from Old Norse flaga stone slab, moldar flaga thin layer of turf; akin to Old English flōh flat stone

First known use: 1586

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Flaw

Words & Phrases Containing Flaw

tragic flaw

Frequently Asked Questions about Flaw

What does "Flaw" mean?

"Flaw" means a defect in physical structure or form. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a defect in physical structure or form. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Flaw"?

Other words for "Flaw" include blemish, blight, blotch, defect, deformity, disfigurement, excrescence and excrescency. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Flaw" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Flaw"?

There are 98 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Flaw". Common alternatives include blemish, blight, blotch, defect, deformity, disfigurement, excrescence, excrescency, fault and imperfection.

What is the opposite of "Flaw"?

Antonyms of "Flaw" include doctor, fix, mend, patch, rebuild, recondition, reconstruct and renovate. Near antonyms include adornment, decoration, embellishment and enhancement.

How do you use "Flaw" in a sentence?

Examples of "Flaw" in a sentence: "noted the flaw in the diamond before I bought it"; "that crack has flawed the vase to the extent that its value in the antiques market is greatly reduced".

Is "Flaw" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Flaw" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Flaw" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Flaw" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Flaw"?

"Flaw" is pronounced /ˈflȯ/.