frail
1 Americannoun
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a flexible basket made of rushes, used especially for dried fruits, as dates, figs, or raisins.
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a certain quantity of raisins, about 75 pounds (34 kilograms), contained in such a basket.
adjective
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physically weak and delicate
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fragile
a frail craft
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easily corrupted or tempted
noun
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a rush basket for figs or raisins
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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.
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
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.
The Bucks County, Pennsylvania, grandmother, then 76, looked frail but resolute.
From Salon • Apr. 24, 2026
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
January’s reading reflects a frail labor market after unemployment picked up steadily over 2025, driven higher by an increase in a tax on employers and the rise in U.S. duties.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026
Alex glanced at the house, with the frail little woman inside.
From "Eleven" by Tom Rogers
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.
