An imperfection in an object or machine:
— A flaw caused the crystal to shatter.

synonyms: defect, fault.

Roget 70: discontinuity; disjunction etc. 44; anacoluthon^†; interruption, break, fracture, flaw, fault, crack, cut; gap etc. (interval) 198; solution of continuity, caesura; broken thread; parenthesis, episode, rhapsody, patchwork; intermission; alternation etc. (periodicity) 138; dropping fire.    ... show more

Roget 198: interval, interspace^†; separation etc. 44; break, gap, opening; hole etc. 260; chasm, hiatus, caesura; interruption, interregnum; interstice, lacuna, cleft, mesh, crevice, chink, rime, creek, cranny, crack, chap, slit, fissure, scissure^†, rift, flaw, breach, rent, gash, cut, leak, dike, ha-ha.    gorge, defile, ravine, canon, crevasse, abyss, abysm; gulf; inlet, frith^†, strait, gully; pass; furrow etc. 259; abra^†; barranca^†, barranco^†; clove [U.S.], gulch [U.S.], notch [U.S.]; yawning gulf; hiatus maxime [Lat.], hiatus valde deflendus [Lat.]; parenthesis etc. (interjacence) 228^†; void etc. (absence) 187; incompleteness etc. 53.    [interval of time] period etc. 108; interim (time) 106.    ... show more

Roget 495: error, fallacy; misconception, misapprehension, misstanding^†, misunderstanding; inexactness etc. adj.; laxity; misconstruction etc. (misinterpretation) 523; miscomputation etc. (misjudgment) 481; non sequitur etc. 477; mis-statement, mis-report; mumpsimus^†.    mistake; miss, fault, blunder, quiproquo, cross purposes, oversight, misprint, erratum, corrigendum, slip, blot, flaw, loose thread; trip, stumble etc. (failure) 732; botchery etc. (want of skill) 699^†; slip of the tongue, slip of the lip, Freudian slip; slip of the pen; lapsus linguae [Lat.], clerical error; bull etc. (absurdity) 497; haplography^†.    illusion, delusion; snare; false impression, false idea; bubble; self-decit, self-deception; mists of error.    heresy etc. (heterodoxy) 984; hallucination etc. (insanity) 503; false light etc. (fallacy of vision) 443; dream etc. (fancy) 515; fable etc. (untruth) 546; bias etc. (misjudgment) 481; misleading etc. v.. ... show more

Roget 651: imperfection; imperfectness etc. adj.; deficiency; inadequacy etc. (insufficiency) 640; peccancy etc. (badness) 649^†; immaturity etc. 674.    fault, defect, weak point; screw loose; flaw etc. (break) 70; gap etc. 198; twist etc. 243; taint, attainder; bar sinister, hole in one's coat; blemish etc. 848; weakness etc. 160; half blood; shortcoming etc. 304; drawback; seamy side.    mediocrity; no great shakes, no great catch; not much to boast of; one-horse shay.    ... show more

Roget 848: blemish, disfigurement, deformity; adactylism^†; flaw, defect etc. (imperfection) 651; injury etc. (deterioration) 659; spots on the sun^†; eyesore.    stain, blot; spot, spottiness; speck, speckle, blur.    tarnish, smudge; dirt etc. 653.    [blemish on a person's skin: list] freckle, mole, macula [Anat.], patch, blotch, birthmark; blobber lip^†, blubber lip; blain^†, maculation; scar, wem^†; pustule; whelk; excrescence, pimple etc. (protuberance) 250.    ... show more

Roget 947: guilt, guiltiness; culpability; criminality, criminousness^†; deviation from rectitude etc. (improbity) 940^†; sinfulness etc. (vice) 945.    misconduct, misbehavior, misdoing, misdeed; malpractice, fault, sin, error, transgression; dereliction, delinquency; indiscretion, lapse, slip, trip, faux pas [Fr.], peccadillo; flaw, blot, omission; failing, failure; break, bad break! [U.S.], capital crime, delictum [Lat.].    offense, trespass; misdemeanor, misfeasance, misprision; malefaction, malfeasance, malversation; crime, felony.    enormity, atrocity, outrage; deadly sin, mortal sin; deed without a name" [Macbeth]. corpus delicti.    ... show more

Dutch: mankement, gebrek, fout, defect
Polish: brak, niedostatek, niedociągnięcie, uchybienie

Defect or weakness in a person's character.

Polish: ułomność, przywara, słabość, wada, nieudaczność

An imperfection in a plan or theory or legal document that causes it to fail or that reduces its effectiveness.

Add a flaw or blemish to; make imperfect or defective.

synonym: blemish.