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When the hero Achilles was an infant, his sea-nymph mother dipped him into the river Styx to make him immortal. But since she held him by one heel, this spot did not touch the water and so remained mortal and vulnerable, and it was here that Achilles was eventually mortally wounded. Today, the tendon that stretches up the calf from the heel is called the Achilles tendon. But the term Achilles' heel isn't used in medicine; instead, it's only used with the general meaning "weak point"—for instance, to refer to a section of a country's borders that aren't militarily protected, or to a Jeopardy contestant's ignorance in the Sports category.
Examples of Achilles' heel in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Achilles' heel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
from the story that Achilles was vulnerable only in the heel
1840, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near Achilles' heel
Cite this Entry
“Achilles' heel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Achilles%27%20heel. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
Kids Definition
Achilles' heel
nounnamed for Achilles, warrior in Greek legend
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