weakest link

English

Alternative forms

weak link

Etymology

The figurative sense comes by metaphor from the literal sense: the notion that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. (See historical details there.)

Noun

weakest link (plural weakest links)

The part of a system that is most likely to fail or cause problems.

Synonyms

Related terms

a chain is only as strong as its weakest link

Translations

the part of a system that is most likely to fail or cause problems

Dutch: zwakste schakel m or f
Finnish: heikoin lenkki
French: maillon faible (fr) m
German: schwächstes Glied n
Hungarian: leggyengébb láncszem
Italian: anello debole m
Polish: najsłabsze ogniwo n
Russian: сла́бое звено́ n (sláboje zvenó)
Spanish: eslabón más débil m
Swedish: svagaste länken c (definite), akilleshäl (sv) c

Further reading

Weakest Link (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
“weakest link”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
“the weakest link”, in Collins English Dictionary.
“the weak weakest link” in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, Longman.

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.