Achilles heel

Achilles heel
a portion, spot, area, or the like, that is especially or solely vulnerable: His Achilles heel is his quick temper. Also, Achilles' heel.
[1800-10]

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Achilles' heel — {n. phr.}, {literary} A physical or psychological weakness named after the Greek hero Achilles who was invulnerable except for a spot on his heel. * /John s Achilles heel is his lack of talent with numbers and math./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Achilles' heel — {n. phr.}, {literary} A physical or psychological weakness named after the Greek hero Achilles who was invulnerable except for a spot on his heel. * /John s Achilles heel is his lack of talent with numbers and math./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Achilles Heel — may refer to:* Achilles heel, a metaphor for a fatal weakness in spite of overall strength * Achilles Heel (band), a band from New York state * Achilles Heel (album), an album by Pedro the Lion * Achilles tendon …   Wikipedia

  • achilles' heel — A person s weak spot is their Achilles heel …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • Achilles heel — ► NOUN ▪ a weakness or vulnerable point. ORIGIN from the mythological Greek hero Achilles, whose mother plunged him into the River Styx when he was a baby, thus making his body invulnerable except for the heel by which she held him …   English terms dictionary

  • Achilles' heel — Achilles heel, Achilles tendon Use an apostrophe in both expressions for consistency, even though the connection with Achilles is remote in the second …   Modern English usage

  • Achilles' heel — n. (one s) vulnerable or susceptible spot * * * …   Universalium

  • Achilles’ heel — [n] vulnerability chink in the armor*, deficiency, frailty, handicap, soft underbelly*, susceptibility, weakness; concepts 101,230,411,580 …   New thesaurus

  • Achilles' heel — n. (one s) vulnerable or susceptible spot …   English World dictionary

  • Achilles' heel — This article deals with the phrase. For other uses, see Achilles Heel. An Achilles’ heel is a fatal weakness in spite of overall strength, actually or potentially leading to downfall. While the mythological origin refers to a physical… …   Wikipedia

  • Achilles' heel — n. a person s weak or vulnerable point. Etymology: L Achilles f. Gk Akhilleus, a hero in the Iliad, invulnerable except in the heel * * * noun a seemingly small but actual mortal weakness • Hypernyms: ↑weak part, ↑weak spot, ↑soft spot * * * n… …   Useful english dictionary

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