Dictionary

Achilles heel en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /əˌkɪl.iːz ˈhiːl/ (UK, US)
• (Canada) audio

Etymology

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.

Meanings

1. A vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation.
   • It might seem counter-intuitive, but getting right up in the Demoman's face is the Achillees heel to the power of his explosives. 2020 December 27, Uncle Dane, 10:54 from the start, in How To Fight Every Class In TF2 (As Engineer) (And Win!), archived from the original on 27 Dec 2020:
   • A good all-round golfer, playing out of bunkers is my Achilles heel.
   • In nearly all respects he is an admirable agent of the USSR, but his gross physical habits and predilections are an Achilles heel of which we have been able to take advantage from time to time and one of his mistresses is a Eurasian (No 1860) controlled by Station F, who has recently been able to obtain insight into his private affairs. 1953, Ian Fleming, “Dossier for M”, in Casino Royale, London: Pan Books, published 1955, page 14:
2. The Achilles tendon, the tendo Achillis.

Forms

Relateds

chink in the armor · hamartia · Achilles' tendon · Achilles · feet of clay

Synonyms

vulnerability · weakness · glass jaw · soft spot · chink in the armor · soft underbelly · vulnerability · Achilles heel · weak spot · weak spot · soft spot · kryptonite · kryptonite · weakness

Translations (56)

rsk Ахилова пета (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · fi akilleenkantapää (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · sh А̀хилова пе́та (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · fr talon d'Achille (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ru ахилле́сова пята́ (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ka აქილევსის ქუსლი (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ar كَعْب أَخِيل (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · he עָקֵב אַכִילֵס (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · sv akilleshäl (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ast calcañu d'Aquiles (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · pl pięta Achillesa (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · it tallone d'Achille (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · da akilleshæl (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · nl achilleshiel (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · be ахіле́сава пята́ (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · gl talón de Aquiles (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · tl sakong ni Akiles (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · hy աքիլեսյան գարշապար (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ro călcâiul lui Ahile (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · cmn 阿喀琉斯之踵 (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · cmn 死穴 (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · sl Ahilova peta (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · uz Axilles tovoni (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · it tallone di Achille (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · bg ахиле́сова пета́ (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · cmn 軟肋 /软肋 (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · cmn 弱項 /弱项 (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ar نُقْطَةُ ضَعْف (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · hi अकिलीज़ की एड़ (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · tl sakong ni Aquiles (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ia calce de Achilles (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ca taló d'Aquil·les (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · tr Aşil topuğu (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · mk Ахилова пета (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · hu Achilles-sarok (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · pl pięta achillesowa (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · uz Axilles toʻpigʻi (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · nb akilleshæl (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · sh Àhilova péta (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · is akkilesarhæll (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · nn akilleshæl (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · za dingiuj Ahgahliuzswh (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ar عَقِب أَخِيل (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ko 아킬레스 건 (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · cs Achilova pata (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · pt calcanhar de Aquiles (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · fa-ira پاشْنِهٔ آشیل (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ja アキレス腱 (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · el αχίλλειος πτέρνα (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · et Achilleuse kand (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · uk ахілле́сова п'ята́ (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · cmn 致命傷 /致命伤 (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · de Achillesferse (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · ia talon de Achilles (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · es talón de Aquiles (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation) · sk Achillova päta (vulnerability in an otherwise strong situation)

wikipedia: Samuel Taylor Coleridge