WORD OF THE DAY: FOIBLE
noun | FOY-bul
Foibles are minor flaws or shortcomings in someone’s character or behavior. In fencing, foible refers to the weakest part of a sword’s blade, between the middle and point.
// You have to be able to laugh at your own foibles.
EXAMPLES OF FOIBLE
“The British sketch comedy troupe Monty Python loved taking aim at contemporary foibles through its twisted and liberal reading of history.” — David Faris, The Week, 29 Apr. 2026
DID YOU KNOW?
Many word lovers agree that the pen is mightier than the sword. But be they honed in wit or form, even the sharpest tools in the shed have their flaws. That’s where foible comes in handy. Borrowed from French in the 1600s, the word originally referred to the weakest part of a fencing sword, that part being the portion between the middle and the pointed tip. The English foible soon came to be applied not only to weaknesses in blades but also to minor failings in character. Foible ultimately traces back to the Old French term feble, which is also the source of our English adjective feeble.
Merriam Webster Dictionary
