adj Likely to be harmed, attacked, or hurt, physically or emotionally.
- Elderly people living alone can be vulnerable during a heatwave.
- Newborns are especially vulnerable to infection.
- Sharing his fears made him feel vulnerable in front of the group.
adj Open to attack from malicious software or hackers.
- The website was vulnerable because nobody had installed the latest security update.
- Weak passwords make an online account vulnerable to hackers.
- Outdated software leaves the network vulnerable to attacks.
adj At moderate risk of extinction, in conservation terminology.
- The rare frog is listed as vulnerable because its wetland home is shrinking.
- Conservationists say the vulnerable species needs protected breeding areas.
- The species was reclassified from "vulnerable" to "endangered" after its numbers dropped further.
