diff --git a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java
index d9680e775d..57cddf3f56 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/main/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor.java
@@ -127,18 +127,25 @@ class BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessor implements BeanRegistrationAotP
 			try {
 				descriptor = validator.getConstraintsForClass(clazz);
 			}
-			catch (RuntimeException ex) {
+			catch (RuntimeException | LinkageError ex) {
+				String className = clazz.getName();
 				if (KotlinDetector.isKotlinType(clazz) && ex instanceof ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException) {
 					// See https://hibernate.atlassian.net/browse/HV-1796 and https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/KT-40857
-					logger.warn("Skipping validation constraint hint inference for class " + clazz +
-							" due to an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException at validator level");
+					if (logger.isWarnEnabled()) {
+						logger.warn("Skipping validation constraint hint inference for class " + className +
+								" due to an ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException at validator level");
+					}
 				}
-				else if (ex instanceof TypeNotPresentException) {
-					logger.debug("Skipping validation constraint hint inference for class " +
-							clazz + " due to a TypeNotPresentException at validator level: " + ex.getMessage());
+				else if (ex instanceof TypeNotPresentException || ex instanceof NoClassDefFoundError) {
+					if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+						logger.debug("Skipping validation constraint hint inference for class %s due to a %s for %s"
+								.formatted(className, ex.getClass().getSimpleName(), ex.getMessage()));
+					}
 				}
 				else {
-					logger.warn("Skipping validation constraint hint inference for class " + clazz, ex);
+					if (logger.isWarnEnabled()) {
+						logger.warn("Skipping validation constraint hint inference for class " + className, ex);
+					}
 				}
 				return;
 			}
diff --git a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java
index b3f3de83cf..27be1d5fbe 100644
--- a/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java
+++ b/spring-context/src/test/java/org/springframework/validation/beanvalidation/BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.java
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import org.springframework.beans.factory.aot.BeanRegistrationAotContribution;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.DefaultListableBeanFactory;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.RegisteredBean;
 import org.springframework.beans.factory.support.RootBeanDefinition;
+import org.springframework.core.OverridingClassLoader;
 import org.springframework.lang.Nullable;
 
 import static java.lang.annotation.ElementType.ANNOTATION_TYPE;
@@ -134,6 +135,14 @@ class BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests {
 				.withMemberCategory(MemberCategory.DECLARED_FIELDS)).accepts(this.generationContext.getRuntimeHints());
 	}
 
+	@Test  // gh-33940
+	void shouldSkipConstraintWithMissingDependency() throws Exception {
+		MissingDependencyClassLoader classLoader = new MissingDependencyClassLoader(getClass().getClassLoader());
+		Class<?> beanClass = classLoader.loadClass(ConstraintWithMissingDependency.class.getName());
+		process(beanClass);
+		assertThat(this.generationContext.getRuntimeHints().reflection().typeHints()).isEmpty();
+	}
+
 	private void process(Class<?> beanClass) {
 		BeanRegistrationAotContribution contribution = createContribution(beanClass);
 		if (contribution != null) {
@@ -269,4 +278,31 @@ class BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests {
 		Optional<BeanWithRecursiveOptional> optional;
 	}
 
+	static class ConstraintWithMissingDependency {
+
+		MissingType missingType;
+	}
+
+	static class MissingType {}
+
+	static class MissingDependencyClassLoader extends OverridingClassLoader {
+
+		MissingDependencyClassLoader(ClassLoader parent) {
+			super(parent);
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		protected boolean isEligibleForOverriding(String className) {
+			return className.startsWith(BeanValidationBeanRegistrationAotProcessorTests.class.getName());
+		}
+
+		@Override
+		protected Class<?> loadClassForOverriding(String name) throws ClassNotFoundException {
+			if (name.contains("MissingType")) {
+				throw new NoClassDefFoundError(name);
+			}
+			return super.loadClassForOverriding(name);
+		}
+	}
+
 }