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Meaning of vulnerable | Babel Free

Adjective CEFR B2 Frequent
ˈvʌln(ə)ɹəbl̩

Definitions

  1. More or most likely to be exposed to the chance of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally.
  2. Open to disclosing one's inner thoughts and feelings, acting in spite of one's instinct to self-preservation.
  3. More likely to be exposed to malicious programs or viruses.
  4. at moderate risk of extinction though not quite endangered.

Equivalents

Español vulnerable
Français vulnérable

Examples

“In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since. ‘Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,’ he told me, ‘just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.’”
“The elimination of [Roger] Federer after [Rafael] Nadal's loss to Lukas Rosol would have created mild panic among the fans of these gloriously gifted but now clearly vulnerable geniuses.”
“One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools[…]as children, teachers or school buildings become the targets of attacks. Parents fear sending their children to school. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.”
“You are vulnerable to be bullied by someone at school.”
“It's okay to get vulnerable every now and again.”
“a vulnerable PC with no antivirus software”
“Welsh is merely a vulnerable language, but Irish and Scottish Gaelic are definitely endangered.”

CEFR level

B2
Upper Intermediate
This word is part of the CEFR B2 vocabulary — upper intermediate level.
See all B2 English words →

See also

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