frail
1 Americanadjective
-
frailer,
comparative
-
frailest
superlative
noun
noun
-
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.
adjective
-
physically weak and delicate
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fragile
a frail craft
-
easily corrupted or tempted
noun
-
a rush basket for figs or raisins
-
a quantity of raisins or figs equal to between 50 and 75 pounds
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.
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
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
Explanation
Something that is delicate and fragile can be described as frail. Grandma's favorite vase is probably too frail to use for football practice; some of us have learned that the hard way. Frail can also be used to describe a person's physical condition: "When I broke my grandmother's vase, she yelled in a voice so loud that it was hard to believe it was coming from her small, frail frame." Another way to use frail is in reference to a person's emotional state. As the poet Sylvia Plath astutely observed, "How frail the human heart must be."
Vocabulary lists containing frail
"All Summer in a Day" by Ray Bradbury
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"Thank You, M'am"
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The Things They Carried
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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.
See Examples For:
During that time, people from every corner of the world online seemed to take every opportunity to scrutinize every contour of her frail frame.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
It paved the way for her to assume the role of president should Ortega, who is believed to be in frail health, should be declared "permanently absent".
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
WIMBLEDON, England—Powerful, pale, occasionally frail Jannik Sinner is becoming inevitable in men’s tennis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
“People have a very difficult time putting themselves in their own future, in their more frail bodies,” Geber said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
He would tease her by telling her just how, with her and her apples gone, all the gods were frail and withered—drooling, palsied, quivering hulks, slow of thought and crippled in mind and body.
From "Norse Mythology" by Neil Gaiman
That made it possible for older, frailer patients to survive with “mini-transplants.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026
This previously manifested through mostly vibes-based measures: Does his voice sound a little frailer?
From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2025
For the oldest, the improvements were lost entirely, and they were frailer than those of the same age living in the prior decade, experts say.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 7, 2024
As one patient commented to the subsequent report: "This is hugely beneficial to people on the small islands. Much less upheaval for frailer patients."
From BBC ● Jan. 7, 2024
When she returned to us in January, Grandma was even frailer, and she needed to be on oxygen all the time.
From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles
These tend to be the sickest and frailest patient - and this wait comes after they have already waited to be seen in the first place after arriving at A&E.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2024
Unable to speak, Qawasmi, 24, is the frailest of the six.
From Reuters ● Nov. 10, 2021
“Even people in their frailest state, in a wheelchair about ready to pass any day were coming out,” said Roxy.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 18, 2021
At Life Care, where elderly and sick people come to heal from broken hips and strokes, or simply to live out their frailest years, the death toll has continued to climb.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 6, 2020
He was kneeling by the Zanies, the frailest ones, the fuse-points; both of them lay huddled up on the floor.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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.
