fragile

[fraj-uhl, fraj-ahyl]

adjective

1. easily broken, shattered, or damaged; delicate; brittle; frail.

   a fragile ceramic container; a very fragile alliance.

2. vulnerably delicate, as in appearance.

   She has a fragile beauty.

3. lacking in substance or force; flimsy.

   a fragile excuse.

fragile

/ ˈfrædʒaɪl, frəˈdʒɪlɪtɪ /

adjective

1. able to be broken easily

2. in a weakened physical state

3. delicate; light

   a fragile touch

4. slight; tenuous

   a fragile link with the past

Other Word Forms

• fragilely adverb
• fragility noun
• fragileness noun
• nonfragile adjective
• nonfragilely adverb
• nonfragileness noun
• nonfragility noun
• overfragile adjective
• unfragile adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fragile¹

First recorded in 1505–15; from Latin fragilis, equivalent to frag- (variant stem of the verb frangere break ) + -ilis -ile

Word History and Origins

Origin of fragile¹

C17: from Latin fragilis , from frangere to break

Synonym Study

See frail ¹.

Example Sentences

Court documents filed this week paint an image of both a conniving player and a fragile individual.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"Our entire Earth system depends, at least in part, on these ice sheets. It's a fragile system that could collapse if temperatures rise too high," warns Dominik Gräff.

Read more on Science Daily

Members of the Magnificent Seven are looking increasingly fragile as well.

Read more on Barron's

The suspension of assembly lines at JLR hit a diffuse network of suppliers, many of them small and financially fragile, that ship parts to its factories.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While maintaining a fragile—and heartrending—composure, Ms. Manville’s Jocasta also reveals that she was not Laius’ only victim; it is implied that he was killed while heading to some sort of unsavory assignation.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• brittle 
• delicate 
• feeble 
• flimsy 
• frail 
• frangible 
• infirm 
• shatterable www.thesaurus.com
• weak