Achilles heel
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Achilles heel
- /əˌkɪl.iːz ˈhiːl/ UK, US
Where it comes from
From the Greek hero Achilles, whom according to legend his mother held by the heel when she dipped him in the River Styx, making him invulnerable everywhere except on his heel. He was later killed by an arrow wound to the heel. Although the legend is ancient, the phrase only entered English in the 19th century. It is used as a metaphor for vulnerability, as in the earliest citation, an essay by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
noun Achilles heels · Achilles' heel
-
A vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation.
A good all-round golfer, playing out of bunkers is my Achilles heel.
Similar: soft spot, vulnerability, weakness, weak spot, kryptonite, Achilles heel, chink in the armor, glass jaw, soft underbelly
- The Achilles tendon, the tendo Achillis.
Translations
Every language
noun vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation
| Español | talón de Aquiles |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 아킬레스 건 Akilleseu geon |
| 日本語 | アキレス腱 Akiresuken |
| 中文 | 弱項 /弱项 ruòxiàng, 死穴 sǐxué, 軟肋 /软肋 ruǎnlèi, 阿喀琉斯之踵 Ākāliúsī zhī zhǒng, 致命傷 /致命伤 zhìmìngshāng |
| हिन्दी | अकिलीज़ की एड़ akilīz kī eṛ |
| Português | calcanhar de Aquiles |
| Français | talon d'Achille |
| Deutsch | Achillesferse |
| Italiano | tallone di Achille, tallone d'Achille |
| Ελληνικά | αχίλλειος πτέρνα achílleios ptérna |
| Română | călcâiul lui Ahile |
| Русский | ахилле́сова пята́ axillésova pjatá |
| العربية | عَقِب أَخِيل ʕaqib ʔaḵīl, كَعْب أَخِيل kaʕb ʔaḵīl, نُقْطَةُ ضَعْف nuqṭatu ḍaʕf |
| עברית | עָקֵב אַכִילֵס 'akév akhíles |
Talk about this word "Achilles heel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/achilles%20heel. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. Achilles heel. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/achilles%20heel "Achilles heel." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/achilles%20heel.Cite this
@misc{achilles_heel_2026,
title = {Achilles heel},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/achilles%20heel},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
