What does foible mean?
A foible is a small, characteristic weakness or peculiarity in a person's character — a minor failing such as vanity, untidiness, or an odd habit — that is generally regarded with tolerance or even fondness rather than censure. Unlike a serious moral flaw, a foible is by definition slight and forgivable, which is why the word carries an affectionate connotation and appears frequently in literature, biography, and everyday descriptions of personality. To say someone's 'only foible is punctuality' is to paint them as essentially sound of character. The word derives ultimately from 'feeble', reflecting its origin as a notion of weakness scaled down to the trivially personal. It also survives in a specialized sense from fencing, where the 'foible' of a blade is its weaker upper portion, contrasted with the 'forte'. As a vocabulary word, it is valuable precisely because it names a category — the harmless imperfection — that blunter terms like 'fault' or 'defect' treat too harshly.
nounA minor weakness, flaw, or eccentricity in someone's character; a small failing that is often viewed with affection or tolerance rather than condemnation.
- A minor, typically harmless weakness or quirk of character.
- (In fencing) the weaker part of a sword blade, from the middle to the tip, as opposed to the 'forte' near the hilt.
"His only foible was an incorrigible habit of being late to everything."
"Despite her many accomplishments, she retained the endearing foible of refusing to ask for directions."
"The novelist filled her hero not with virtues but with human foibles, making him far more believable."
Standard pluralization; commonly used when discussing the collective quirks of people or characters, e.g. 'the foibles of human nature'.
"The essay gently catalogued the foibles of academic life."
'Foible' comes from the same idea as 'feeble' — but somewhere along the way it shrank from describing outright weakness to describing the lovable little flaws that make us human.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of foible
'Foible' originated in English in the early 17th century, derived from the then-current sense of 'feeble', meaning weak or frail; it was influenced by the French adjective 'faible' ('weak'), which shares the same ultimate source. The word initially carried a more general meaning of weakness before narrowing to describe minor weaknesses of character. Its use in fencing, denoting the weaker half of the blade, developed alongside the technical vocabulary of swordsmanship, where it stood opposite the 'forte'.
How foible is actually used
Almost always used with mild affection or indulgence — a foible is forgivable by nature; calling something a foible implies it is minor rather than serious. Common in literary criticism and character description. The fencing sense (the weak portion of the blade) is now largely confined to discussions of historical swordsmanship.
Easily confused with foible
'Feeble' describes something physically or generally weak and lacking strength, while 'foible' refers specifically to a small, often endearing weakness of character.