# vulnerable

Pronunciation: US say "VUL-ner-uh-bul" /ˈvʌln(ə)ɹəbl̩/; UK

## Adjective

1. More likely than others to be attacked or harmed, whether physically or emotionally.
   - Simple: Easy to hurt or attack, in body or in feelings.
   - _Elderly residents living alone are especially vulnerable during heat waves._
   - _Without reinforcements, the troops were vulnerable to ambush from the ridge._
2. Willing to reveal one's inner thoughts and feelings, even against the instinct to protect oneself.
   - Simple: Willing to share your real thoughts and feelings, even when it feels risky.
   - _He allowed himself to be vulnerable, admitting how frightened he truly was._
   - _Therapy works best when patients are willing to be vulnerable about their past._
3. More likely than other systems to be attacked by malicious programs or viruses.
   - Simple: Open to being attacked or damaged by harmful programs or viruses.
   - _Systems running outdated software are vulnerable to known exploits._
   - _The server was left vulnerable after the firewall was misconfigured._
4. At moderate risk of extinction in the wild, though not yet classified as endangered.
   - Simple: At some risk of dying out as a species, but not yet in great danger.
   - _Conservationists classified the species as vulnerable after its numbers dropped sharply._
   - _Habitat loss has left several frog species vulnerable across the region._

## Origin

From Late Latin vulnerābilis ("injurious, wounding"), which comes from Latin vulnerō ("I wound").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/vulnerable (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).