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Synonyms

frail

1 American  
[freyl] / freɪl /

adjective

frailer, frailest

  1. having delicate health; not robust; weak.

    My grandfather is rather frail now.
    Synonyms:
    frangible, breakable, feeble
    Antonyms:
    sturdy

  2. easily broken or destroyed; fragile.

    Synonyms:
    frangible, breakable, feeble
    Antonyms:
    sturdy

  3. morally weak; easily tempted.

noun

  1. Older Slang: Sometimes Offensive. a term used to refer to a girl or woman.

frail 2 American  
[freyl] / freɪl /

noun

  1. a flexible basket made of rushes, used especially for dried fruits, as dates, figs, or raisins.

  2. a certain quantity of raisins, about 75 pounds (34 kilograms), contained in such a basket.

frail 1 British  
/ freɪl /

adjective

  1. physically weak and delicate

  2. fragile

    a frail craft

  3. easily corrupted or tempted

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
frail 2 British  
/ freɪl /

noun

  1. a rush basket for figs or raisins

  2. a quantity of raisins or figs equal to between 50 and 75 pounds

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Sensitive Note

This term is sometimes perceived as insulting or condescending when used to refer to a woman, since it reinforces the stereotype of a weak female.

Related Words

Frail, brittle, fragile imply a delicacy or weakness of substance or construction. Frail applies particularly to health and immaterial things: a frail constitution; frail hopes. Brittle implies a hard material that snaps or breaks to pieces easily: brittle as glass. Fragile implies that the object must be handled carefully to avoid breakage or damage: fragile bric-a-brac.

Other Word Forms

  • frailly adverb
  • frailness noun

Etymology

Origin of frail1

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English frail(e), frel(e), from Old French, from Latin fragilis fragile

Origin of frail2

First recorded 1300–50; Middle English frayel, fraelle, from Old French frayel; further origin unknown

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Last year, Holy Week was the setting for the Argentine pontiff's final public appearances, during which he appeared frail and short of breath.

From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026

In the interview, Guthrie said her family assumed her mother may have experienced a medical emergency because she was frail.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

One company betting on that shift is InnovAge, which participates in PACE, a federal program designed to keep frail seniors in their communities rather than in institutions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

She explained how her family noticed the "elderly, frail woman" lying alone in the corridor opposite them, while Nadia was attending the department with her unwell partner.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Those two people in that picture had been holding Cletus between them, frail as they were, ever since Cletus took his first breath.

From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.