frail
1having delicate health; not robust; weak: My grandfather is rather frail now.
easily broken or destroyed; fragile.
morally weak; easily tempted.
Older Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a term used to refer to a girl or woman.
Origin of frail
1synonym study For frail
usage note For frail
Other words for frail
Opposites for frail
Other words from frail
- frailly, adverb
- frailness, noun
Words Nearby frail
Other definitions for frail (2 of 2)
a flexible basket made of rushes, used especially for dried fruits, as dates, figs, or raisins.
a certain quantity of raisins, about 75 pounds (34 kilograms), contained in such a basket.
Origin of frail
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use frail in a sentence
First, the movement of water could create frail,exposed crust.
Mars’s mascara-like streaks may be caused by slush and landslides | Charlie Wood | February 3, 2021 | Popular-ScienceThrough committing herself to the frail bird’s recovery, Bloom realized she was feeling better, and watching Penguin become more independent made her want that for herself, too.
The True Story Behind the New Netflix Film Penguin Bloom | Annabel Gutterman | January 27, 2021 | TimeOf those deaths, 13 have so far been autopsied, with the results suggesting that common side effects may have contributed to severe reactions in frail, elderly people, according to the Norwegian Medicines Agency.
Sick patients over 80 could be a COVID vaccine risk, Norwegian health officials warn | Katherine Dunn | January 15, 2021 | FortuneThey’re intended to care for these elderly and frail residents and you have these schemes that are siphoning them away.
Profit and pain: How California’s largest nursing home chain amassed millions as scrutiny mounted | Debbie Cenziper, Joel Jacobs, Alice Crites, Will Englund | December 31, 2020 | Washington PostThe by-now old and frail dog wags his tail to greet his master for whom he had patiently waited, and then promptly dies.
Traveling through the pandemic in the company of dogs | Walter Nicklin | December 18, 2020 | Washington Post
Alma Hitchcock, the times I saw her, was a frail, birdlike woman who looked angry about her infirmity.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days | David Freeman | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe was old, frail and handcuffed; 20 minutes later they had a crime to cover up.
He opened his eyes and he held my hand with his so-very-frail one, veins showing blue through his skin.
You start losing all this weight and looking gaunt and frail.
'So You Think You Can Dance' Winner Ricky Ubeda Is Adorable, and Tired | Kevin Fallon | September 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTOmran, who was 17 at the time, was completely bald, weak, and as frail as a burnt match.
I had no sooner stepped upon the frail structure when it suddenly and unaccountably gave way in the middle.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James WillsOccasionally, over a narrow stream, a frail footbridge would be built.
Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. PikeHer exquisite, frail beauty held a strength that mocked the worship in his eyes and voice.
The Wave | Algernon BlackwoodHe brought us again to where the frail little woman determined to fight death with death.
The Soldier of the Valley | Nelson LloydHe was a narrow-headed man with frail-looking sloped shoulders and a thin triangle of face.
British Dictionary definitions for frail (1 of 2)
/ (freɪl) /
physically weak and delicate
fragile: a frail craft
easily corrupted or tempted
Origin of frail
1Derived forms of frail
- frailly, adverb
- frailness, noun
British Dictionary definitions for frail (2 of 2)
/ (freɪl) /
a rush basket for figs or raisins
a quantity of raisins or figs equal to between 50 and 75 pounds
Origin of frail
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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