What does faible mean?
Faible is a rare English noun, borrowed directly from French, meaning a minor weakness or failing — particularly one of character that observers regard with tolerance or even affection. To call something someone's faible is to admit it gently, as one might confess a weakness for fine wine or sentimental novels; the word carries an air of indulgence rather than condemnation. It entered English by way of French, where it means simply 'weak,' and shares a distant origin with the more familiar English word 'foible,' which has largely taken over the same role. In modern usage, faible survives chiefly in literary and cultivated writing, where authors reach for it precisely because it sounds refined and slightly old-fashioned. A reader who meets it should understand it as a graceful synonym for a harmless flaw: not a grave defect, but the endearing imperfection that makes a person recognizably human.
nounA weak point; a slight failing or weakness of character, especially one that is regarded tolerantly or indulgently.
- A minor weakness or failing of character, viewed with tolerant affection rather than harsh judgment
"Her fondness for expensive chocolates was the one faible she made no effort to conceal."
"Every great statesman, he argued, has some small faible that history learns to forgive."
"His one faible was an incorrigible habit of betting on hopeless horses."
Regularly pluralized with English -s, like other borrowed nouns.
"The biographer catalogued his subject's faibles without malice."
Faible never made it into everyday English on its own — but its cousin 'foible' did, and both trace back to the same Latin word for 'that which deserves to be wept over.'
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of faible
Faible was borrowed into English from French faible, meaning 'weak' or 'a weak point.' The French word descends from Old French feble (also appearing as foible), which ultimately traces to Latin flebilis, meaning 'lamentable' or 'deserving of tears,' from the verb flere, 'to weep.' The same line of descent produced the established English noun 'foible,' which now serves as the common form of the same idea.
How faible is actually used
Rare and distinctly literary in English; most readers will encounter it in older or deliberately elegant prose. Because 'foible' covers the same ground and is far more common, using 'faible' signals a consciously French-flavored register. The plural 'faibles' follows the English pluralization of borrowed nouns.
Easily confused with faible
Foible is the established English word for a minor weakness of character, while faible is its rarer, direct borrowing from French and is often treated as a Gallicism.
Feeble is an adjective describing physical or mental lack of strength, whereas faible is a noun naming a specific weakness or failing.