Meanings
flaw1
plural flaws
- obsoleteA thin cake, as of ice.
- A crack or breach, a gap or fissure; a defect of continuity or cohesion.
That vase has a flaw.
2 more examples
There is a flaw in that knife.
This heart / Shall break into a hundred thousand flaws.
c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iv] - A defect, fault, or imperfection, especially one that is hidden.
Has not this also its flaws and its dark side?
1692–1717, Robert South, Twelve Sermons Preached upon Several Occasions, volume (please specify |volume=I to VI), LondonSynonyms: vice
- lawA defect or error in a contract or other document which may make the document invalid or ineffective.
a flaw in a will, in a deed, or in a statute
Synonyms: vice
present singular third person flaws · participle present flawing · participle past flawed · past flawed
- transitiveTo add a flaw to, to make imperfect or defective.
flaw2
plural flaws · alternative obsolete flawe
- A sudden burst or gust of wind of short duration; windflaw.
And snow and haile and stormie gust and flaw
1667, John Milton, “Book X”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC1 more example
Yniol with that hard message went; it fell, / Like flaws in summer laying lusty corn: […]
1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Enid”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 41 - A storm of short duration.
- A sudden burst of noise and disorder
And deluges of armies from the town / Come pouring in; I heard the mighty flaw.
1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe: A Tragedy. […], London: […] T[homas] N[ewcomb] for Henry Herringman, […], published 1676, →OCLC, (please specify the page number)
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA defect, fault, or imperfection, especially one that is hidden.
nounAn inclusion, stain, or other defect of a diamond or other gemstone.
nounA defect or error in a contract or other document which may make the document invalid or ineffective.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
flaw · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*plok-“broad, flat”
- Proto-Germanic*flagō“a layer of soil”
- Old Norseflaga“a flag or slab of stone, flake”
- Middle Englishflawe
- Englishflaw
From Middle English flawe, flay (“a flake of fire or snow, spark, splinter”), probably from Old Norse flaga (“a flag or slab of stone, flake”), from Proto-Germanic *flagō (“a layer of soil”), from Proto-Indo-European *plok- (“broad, flat”). Cognate with Icelandic flaga (“flake”), Swedish flaga (“flake, scale”), Danish flage (“flake”), Middle Low German vlage (“a layer of soil”), Old English flōh (“a fragment, piece”).
More words from Middle English, Old Norse, Proto-Germanic
Full word history & related roots →flaw · noun
- Proto-Germanic*flagǭ“blow, strike”
- Old Norseflaga
- Swedishflaga“gust of wind”
- Proto-West Germanic*flagā
- Middle Low Germanvlāge
- Middle Dutchvlāghe
- Middle English*flaugh
- Englishflaw
From Middle English *flaugh, from Middle Dutch vlāghe or Middle Low German vlāge, ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *flagā. Or, possibly of North Germanic origin, from Swedish flaga (“gust of wind”), from Old Norse flaga; all from Proto-Germanic *flagǭ (“blow, strike”). See modern Dutch vlaag (“gust of wind”).
More words from Middle English, Middle Dutch, Middle Low German
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ψόγος
- ψόγος (psógos)defect, fault
Arabic عَيْب
- عَيْب (ʕayb)defect, fault
Bulgarian пукнатина, цепнатина
- пукнатина (puknatina)crack or breach
- цепнатина (cepnatina)crack or breach
- недостатък (nedostatăk)defect, fault
- дефект (defekt)defect, fault
- пуквам (pukvam)to add a flaw to
- разцепвам (razcepvam)to add a flaw to
- повреждам се (povreždam se)to become imperfect
- шквал (škval)burst of wind
Chinese Mandarin 疵, 瑕疵
- 疵 (cī)crack or breach
- 瑕疵 (xiácī)defect, fault
- 毛病 (máobìng)defect, fault
- 缺陷 (quēxiàn)defect, fault
Czech vada
- vadadefect, fault
Danish defekt, fejl
- defektcrack or breach
- fejlcrack or breach
- skønshedsfejlcrack or breach
- defektdefect, fault
- fejldefect, fault
Dutch barst, barstje
- barstcrack or breach
- barstjecrack or breach
- onzuiverheiddefect in a gemstone
- kristalfoutdefect in a gemstone
- foutdefect, fault
Esperanto difekto, manko
- difektodefect, fault
- mankodefect, fault
Estonian mõra, viga
- mõracrack or breach
- vigadefect, fault
- puudusdefect, fault
Finnish rako, virhe
- rakocrack or breach
- virhedefect, fault
- vikadefect, fault
French défaut, fissure
- défautcrack or breach
- fissurecrack or breach
- crapauddefect in a gemstone
- failledefect, fault
- défautdefect, fault
- bourrasqueburst of wind
- tumulteburst of noise
German Sprung, Riss
- Sprungcrack or breach
- Risscrack or breach
- Absplitterungcrack or breach
- Schadencrack or breach
- Makeldefect in a gemstone
- Makeldefect, fault
- Fehlerdefect, fault
- Mackedefect, fault
- Schwachstelledefect, fault
- Schlupflochdefect, fault
- beschädigento add a flaw to
- verschlechternto add a flaw to
- Schaden nehmento become imperfect
- sich verschlechternto become imperfect
- Windböburst of wind
- Windstoßburst of wind
- Böburst of wind
Hungarian repedés, hiba
- repedéscrack or breach
- hibadefect, fault
- hiányosságdefect, fault
- elrontto add a flaw to
- elromlikto become imperfect
Irish fabht, locht
- fabhtdefect, fault
- lochtdefect, fault
Italian fessura, cricca
- fessuracrack or breach
- criccacrack or breach
- crepacrack or breach
- imperfezionedefect in a gemstone
- difettodefect in a gemstone
- difettodefect, fault
- erroredefect, fault
- imperfezionedefect, fault
Japanese ひび, 欠点
- ひび (hibi)crack or breach
- 欠点 (kekkan)defect, fault
- 瑕疵 (kashi)defect, fault
Korean 결점
- 결점 (gyeoljeom)defect, fault
Latin vitium
- vitiumdefect, fault
Lithuanian trūkumas
- trūkumasdefect, fault
Māori tōrōkiri
- tōrōkiridefect, fault
Norwegian Bokmål feil, brist
- feilcrack or breach
- bristcrack or breach
- skavankcrack or breach
- feildefect, fault
- bristdefect, fault
Polish wada
- wadadefect, fault
Portuguese falha, defeito
- falhacrack or breach
- defeitocrack or breach
- falhadefect, fault
- defeitodefect, fault
- errodefect, fault
Romanian spărtură, fisură
- spărturăcrack or breach
- fisurăcrack or breach
- încălcarecrack or breach
- cusurdefect, fault
- defectdefect, fault
- hibădefect, fault
Russian тре́щина, щель
- тре́щина (tréščina)crack or breach
- щель (ščelʹ)crack or breach
- поро́к (porók)crack or breach
- изъя́н (izʺján)defect, fault
- недоста́ток (nedostátok)defect, fault
- поро́к (porók)defect, fault
- брак (brak)defect, fault
- дефе́кт (defékt)defect, fault
- по́ртить (pórtitʹ)to add a flaw to
- испо́ртить (ispórtitʹ)to add a flaw to
- поврежда́ть (povreždátʹ)to add a flaw to
- повреди́ть (povredítʹ)to add a flaw to
- поврежда́ться (povreždátʹsja)to become imperfect
- повреди́ться (povredítʹsja)to become imperfect
- шквал (škval)burst of wind
- поры́в ве́тра (porýv vétra)burst of wind
Slovak prasklina, škára
- prasklinacrack or breach
- škáracrack or breach
- vadadefect, fault
- závadadefect, fault
- chybadefect, fault
Spanish falla, defecto
- fallacrack or breach
- defectodefect in a gemstone
- imperfeccióndefect, fault
- desperfectodefect, fault
- pegadefect, fault
Swedish spricka, skavank
- sprickacrack or breach
- skavankcrack or breach
- feldefect, fault
- bristdefect, fault
Tamil குறை, கோளாறு
- குறை (kuṟai)defect, fault
- கோளாறு (kōḷāṟu)defect, fault
Thai ข้อบกพร่อง
- ข้อบกพร่องdefect, fault
Turkish çatlak, çizik
- çatlakcrack or breach
- çizikcrack or breach
- hatadefect, fault
- kusurdefect, fault
Ukrainian вада
- вада (vada)defect, fault
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with flaw
Sounds the same
Cite this entry
flaw. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flaw
“flaw.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flaw. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “flaw,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/flaw.
Source: flaw on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.