History Main / VerbalWeakness

* In the Creator/RobertSheckley short story "Ghost V", the protagonist inhales hallucinogenic gas and is attacked by an imaginary monster which can only be defeated by uttering a nonsensical "magic word".

* ''{{Series/Blackadder}}'': In "Sense and Senility", the actors cannot hear the true name of "TheScottishPlay" without performing a complicated exorcism. [[{{Troll}} Blackadder, naturally, takes every advantage of this.]]

->"''[[ForeignCussword Nivahriin joorre]]! What have you done?! What twisted Words have you created?!''"

* Laharl from ''VideoGames/{{Disgaea}}'' is weakened by [[EvilCannotComprehendGood pure-sounding words of encouragement]]: such as "A beautiful heart!" and "Let's all be friends." By far the worst of them all is "Eternal Love!" which will completely cripple him (and by cripple, we mean [[GamplayAndStoryIntergration cut his stats in half]]).

* Laharl from ''VideoGames/{{Disgaea}}'' is weakened by [[EvilCannotComprehendGood pure-sounding words of encouragement]]: such as "A beautiful heart!" and "Let's all be friends." By far the worst of them all is "Eternal Love!" which will completely cripple him.

[[AC:{{Anime}} and {{Manga}}]]
* Lesser demons in ''Anime/BlueExorcist'' can be killed by Arias by having the Aria reciting a "Fatal Verse", a segment from the Bible and other holy scriptures. The segment varies from demon type to demon type.

[[AC:{{Film}}]]
* PlayedForLaughs In ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail''. The Knights Who Say Ni have a weakness to the word [[spoiler: 'it']], which makes them recoil in shock, [[spoiler: even if they say it themselves]].

[[AC:{{Literature}}]]
* On the Literature/{{Discworld}}, werewolves, being related to dogs, react distastefully to the words 'bath' and 'vet'.
* In the Creator/RobertSheckley short story "Ghost V", the protagonist inhales hallucinogenic gas and is attacked by an imaginary monster which can only be defeated by uttering a nonsensical "magic word".
* In ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'' Orcs are depicted as hating the name "Elbereth" to the extent that they are unable to utter it aloud and at least recoil momentarily in instinctive fear when someone else utters it. The name "Eärendil" is also used to repel creatures of the Shadow.

[[AC:LiveActionTV]]
* A ZanyScheme in an episode of the Scottish sitcom ''Series/MrDonAndMrGeorge'' involves the pair pretending that Don is allergic to the word "desk", causing him to faint, and that George is allergic to Don fainting, causing ''him'' to faint in turn.

[[AC:{{Mythology}}]]
* Rakshasa, a type of demon from Myth/HinduMythology, will, according to some accounts, be banished if someone says the word "Uncle" in their presence.

[[AC:TabletopGames]]
* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', ''Magazine/{{Dragon}}'' magazine #10. This was parodied in the introduction to the article "Random Monsters". When a party of {{PC}}s meets some Clickclick monsters, one of them shouts out "November" and the Clickclicks fall over dead.

[[AC:VideoGames]]
* Laharl from ''VideoGames/{{Disgaea}}'' is weakened by [[EvilCannotComprehendGood pure-sounding words of encouragement]]: such as "A beautiful heart!" and "Let's all be friends." By far the worst of them all is "Eternal Love!" which will completely cripple him.

[[AC:{{Webcomics}}]]
* ''Webcomic/{{Goblins}}''-spin-off ''Tempts Fate'' once featured a dragon who was unable to pronounce its own name, because it was a word taken from the Tongue of the Gods and anyone who heard it spoken would be sucked into a black hole, so it was censored by "the Powers That Be". Unfortunately, it couldn't pronounce words that contain its name as a syllable either:
-->'''Dragon:''' Well, now that you are here, I'm going to des'''[[Censored]]''' you!
-->'''Tempts Fate:''' Um, why was part of the word "Destroy" censored? ...Is your name "Troy"?
-->'''Dragon:''' [[BigNo NOOOO!]]

* If the Verbal Weakness isn't inherent to the character, and has been bestowed upon them by some means, it is likely a case of the TriggerPhrase SubTrope.

-->-- '''[[BigBad Alduin]]''', being brought low by words of transience translated into the language of Dragons, ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim''

* Ensure it's an actual weakness and not just 'causes the character to do something odd', those likely also belong under TriggerPhrase.

* Dragons in ''VideoGames/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' are all stunned and weakened by [[spoiler: the Thu'um '''JOOR ZAH FRUL''']], Since Dragons [[spoiler: have no concept of transience (much like we have a difficult time truly grasping the concept of infinity)]], the [[spoiler: three words that make the shout (which, when translated, form 'Mortal', 'Finite' and 'Temporary' respectively)]] are like Kryptonite to them when used in [[spoiler: a Thu'um]]. Utterly confused by the words they hear, dragons promptly faceplant into the ground. This is the only [[spoiler: [[LanguageOfMagic Thu'um]]]] that fits this trope as any non-dragon race can hear the words just fine - The same cannot be said about all other [[spoiler: offensive-minded Thu'ums]] and dragons are not immune to those either. Note that the words themselves explicitly are ''not'' sufficient to cause anything to happen to dragons, [[spoiler: for about the same reason just saying 'Infinity' does not do anything to humans.]]

* If the words used have the same effect on a multitude of different beings, it's an example of WordsCanBreakMyBones. Examples include most [[VideoGame/{{Skyrim}} Thu'ums]] and 'Ni' from Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail.

* Dragons in ''VideoGames/{{Skyrim}}'' are all stunned and weakened by [[spoiler: the Thu'um '''JOOR ZAH FRUL''']], Since Dragons [[spoiler: have no concept of transience (much like we have a difficult time truly grasping the concept of infinity)]], the [[spoiler: three words that make the shout (which, when translated, form 'Mortal', 'Finite' and 'Temporary' respectively)]] are like Kryptonite to them when used in [[spoiler: a Thu'um]]. Utterly confused by the words they hear, dragons promptly faceplant into the ground. This is the only [[spoiler: [[LanguageOfMagic Thu'um]]]] that fits this trope as any non-dragon race can hear the words just fine - The same cannot be said about all other [[spoiler: offensive-minded Thu'ums]] and dragons are not immune to those either. Note that the words themselves explicitly are ''not'' sufficient to cause anything to happen to dragons, [[spoiler: for about the same reason just saying 'Infinity' does not do anything to humans.]]

-->-- '''[[BigBad Alduin]]''', being brought low by words of transience translated into the language of Dragons , ''VideoGame/{{Skyrim}}''

* Empousae, female demons from GreekMythology that are known to seduce and eat men, can be physically be hurt and driven away by swearing and insults that are directed at them.

->"''[[ForeignCussword Nivahriin joorre]! What have you done?! What twisted Words have you created?!''"

->"''[[ForeignCussword Nivahriin jaorre]]! What have you done?! What twisted Words have you created?!''"

* Dragons in ''VideoGames/{{Skyrim}}'' are all stunned and weakened by [[spoiler: the Thu'um '''JOOR ZAH FRUL''']], Since Dragons [[spoiler: have no concept of transience (much like we have a difficult time truly grasping the concept of infinity)]], the [[spoiler: three words that make the shout (which, when translated, form 'Mortal', 'Finite' and 'Temporary' respectively)]] are like Kryptonite to them when used in [[spoiler: a Thu'um]]. Utterly confused by the words they hear, dragons promptly faceplant into the ground. This is the only [[spoiler: [[LanguageOfMagic Thu'um]]]] that fits this trope as any non-dragon race can hear the words just fine - The same cannot be said about all other [[spoiler: offensive-minded Thu'ums]] and dragons are not immune to those either.

* Rakshasa, a type of demon from HinduMythology, will, according to some accounts, be banished if someone says the word "Uncle" in their presence.

* In ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'' Orcs are depicted as hating the name "Elbereth" to the extent that they are unable to utter it aloud and at least recoil momentarily in instinctive fear when someone else utters it. The name Eärendil is also used to repel creatures of the Shadow.

* In ''Literature/LordOfTheRings'' Orcs are depicted as hating the name "Elbereth" to the extent that they are unable to utter it aloud and at least recoil momentarily in instinctive fear when someone else utters it.

* In ''Film/GalaxyQuest'', ClassicallyTrainedExtra Alexander Dane loathes his [[TypeCasting most famous role]], but can be forced to play it out by being reminded that TheShowMustGoOn.

* The shutdown code for the robot Gort from Film/TheDayTheEarthStoodStill1951 is [[spoiler: KlaatuBaradaNikto]].

[[AC:ComicBooks]]
* In ''ComicBook/{{Miracleman}},'' MadScientist Emil Gargunza, while creating the title character, puts in an emergency post-hypnotic keyword, "Abraxas," that changes the superhuman back to his human alter ego, Mike Moran, overriding his own [[ByThePowerOfGrayskull power word]], "Kimota." For [[PlotArmor some reason]], however, the override only lasts an hour.

* Janemba from ''Anime/DragonballZ'' is a [[RealityWarper reality warping]] demon who breaks apart and ''shatters'' by having [[spoiler: insults shouted at him]] - while we can all agree that [[spoiler: shouting insults]] is not a nice thing, none of us break apart physically by it.

-->-- '''[[BigBad Alduin]]''', being brought low by [[spoiler: words of transience translated into the language of Dragons]] , ''VideoGame/{{Skyrim}}''

--> -- '''[[VideoGame/{{Skyrim}} Ald]][[BigBad uin]]''', being brought low by [[spoiler: words of transience translated into the language of Dragons]]

* Finally, ensure the words themselves are the inheirent weakness - if they bring up memories of something the character fears they are not part of this trope. Examples include [[WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons Homer Simpson]][[note]]being afraid of Sock Puppets to the point that the mere mention is enough to scare him[[/note]] and [[WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents Cosmo]] [[note]]being scarred by a NoodleIncident enough that reminding him of it causes him to curl into a fetal position[[/note]].

-->*Dragon is sucked into a black hole*

SuperTrope to IKnowYourTrueName and TriggerPhrase, and SubTrope of WeaksauceWeakness and KryptoniteFactor. If it is the volume of the spoken word that causes the damage, that's MakeMeWannaShout. Related to LogicBomb where computers and robots cannot grasp the concept of paradoxes.