vulnerable (to somebody/something)weak and easily hurt physically or emotionallyto be vulnerable to attackOld people are particularly vulnerable to the flu.She looked very vulnerable standing there on her own.In cases of food poisoning, young children are especially vulnerable.The sudden resignation of the financial director put the company in a very vulnerable position.We should protect the most vulnerable members of our society.Animals are at their most vulnerable when searching for food for their young.Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbsbe,prove,appear,…adverbextremely,fairly,very,…prepositiontoSeefull entrySee related entries:Poor healthWord Originearly 17th cent.: from late Latin vulnerabilis, from Latin vulnerare ‘to wound’, from vulnus ‘wound’.Extra examplesHippos are uniquely vulnerable to drought.She is very sensitive and rather vulnerable.The company is in an economically vulnerable position.The virus attacks the immune system, leaving your body vulnerable to infections.These offices are highly vulnerable to terrorist attack.You must try not to appear vulnerable.Exhaustion from their long and fruitless war had left them vulnerable to attack.The sudden resignation of the financial director put the company in a very vulnerable position.
See vulnerable in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic EnglishSee vulnerable in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
