noun
kryptonite
KRIHP-tuh-nyt
noun
1
Figuratively, the one specific thing that can weaken or defeat someone or something otherwise very strong.
"Public speaking is his kryptonite — he freezes up every time."
"For this diet, late-night snacking is my kryptonite."
verb
1
To ruin, weaken, or badly damage something, in the way kryptonite affects Superman.
"One bad review can kryptonite an otherwise promising restaurant launch."
How to Use Kryptonite
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA person's or thing's single big weakness, borrowed from the Superman comics.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with krypton, the actual chemical element — kryptonite exists only in fiction.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
someone's kryptonite
his one kryptonite
Word Forms
kryptonited past tense, kryptonites plural, kryptonites singular
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Public speaking is his _____ — he freezes up every time.
Etymology
From the fictional radioactive mineral in Superman stories, which is the one substance able to weaken him — itself named after the real element krypton.