What does foible mean?
Word: Foible
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Foible means a small, harmless weakness or odd habit in a person's character.
Synonyms: failing
How do you spell foible?
Syllables: foi - ble
Tricky part: The word ends in le, not el, even though the two letters are said the other way round. Foibel is the usual slip.
Watch out for: foibel, foibal
Memory tip: Imagine an old table wobbling on one short leg. That little flaw is its foible, and both words finish in ble.
Foible in a sentence
Example 1: Aunt Lata's one foible is checking the door lock three times before we leave.
Example 2: Everyone in the staff room forgives Mr Das his foible of wearing odd socks on Fridays.
Example 3: Great leaders have their foibles too, and good biographers do not hide them.
Fun Fact
It comes from an old French word for weak, and the English word feeble shares that source. Foible arrived later and kept a gentler sense, so calling something a foible usually comes with a smile.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to complete the word:
f__ble
a) o, i
b) e, i
c) o, y
d) u, i
Show answer
a) o, i. The sound here is the same one you hear in boil and coin.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
Losing his spectacles is a oblief that the whole family teases Grandfather about.
a) fable
b) fumble
c) foible
d) bauble
Show answer
c) foible. Fable, bauble and fumble all lack the o and i in this jumble.
Spell-o-Spell
Three of these words are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word:
1. archipeligo 2. frugal 3. foible 4. lethargic
a) lacking energy and feeling sleepy
b) a large group of islands
c) a little flaw in someone's nature
d) careful about spending money
Show answer
b) a large group of islands. Archipelago has the vowel a straight after the l.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word foible as used in the sentence:
Everyone smiled at Ravi's little foible of lining up his pencils by height before each lesson.
a) promise
b) quirk
c) secret
d) talent
Show answer
b) quirk. A quirk is an odd little habit that makes a person stand out.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What would people most probably call a foible?
a) learning three new languages
b) saving a whole year's pocket money
c) always humming while washing up
d) winning the state chess title
Show answer
c) always humming while washing up
2. Someone who says we all have our foibles is asking us to ____
a) avoid making any new friends
b) study history more carefully
c) work harder than everyone else
d) forgive small flaws in people
Show answer
d) forgive small flaws in people
