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.

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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.

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frail ¹ British  

/ freɪl /

adjective

1. physically weak and delicate

2. fragile

   a frail craft

3. easily corrupted or tempted

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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

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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

• 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

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."

Example Sentences

But his debate performance - along with gaffes during a Nato summit in the following weeks and a frail demeanour after a Covid diagnosis - ultimately led to him ending his candidacy.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

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

His father and uncles were in the cattle business, but it was soon apparent that young Larry, who was slight and frail, had no future in ranching.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Ho Chi Minh, a frail figure in his mid-fifties, with a wispy gray goatee, stepped toward the microphone.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• decrepit
• feeble
• fragile
• infirm
• sickly
• slender
• slim
• thin
• vulnerable