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frail

frail

58 4.1
Being physically weak and breaking easily
  • adjective
  • /freɪl/
: frágil
  • As she aged, her body became increasingly frail, making her more vulnerable to illness.
  • frail elderly people
  • frail older people
  • frail people

Because they injure or destroy our frail flesh.

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Examples

Synonyms

weak
vsfrail
315 1.0

Not strong in body or muscles and easily tired

includes being easily harmed or damaged rather than only low strength
delicate
vsfrail
129 3.8

Easily broken and needing gentle care

focuses more on bodily weakness and susceptibility to harm rather than sensitivity
fragile
vsfrail
45 3.4

Easily broken or damaged because it is not strong

is used for living things that lack bodily strength or resilience
scrawny
vsfrail
  • Informal
44 4.2

Very thin and weak in a way that looks unhealthy

focuses on general lack of bodily strength and easy damage, not only thinness
brittle
vsfrail
33 3.9

Hard and likely to break

applies more to soft-bodied weakness and susceptibility to harm rather than hardness
flimsy
vsfrail
23 3.8

Thin and not strong so it breaks or tears easily

applies to fragile bodies and delicate health as well as fragile objects
feeble
vsfrail
16 3.9

Physically or mentally weak and low in energy

stresses physical delicacy and risk of damage rather than low energy alone
breakable
vsfrail
6 1.3

Easy to damage or fall into pieces

adds the sense of bodily fragility and lack of physical strength
rickety
vsfrail
1 7.0

Physically weak, often with shaky or bent legs

is more general, applying to fragile condition of people or objects alike
asthenic
vsfrail
  • Specialized
1 9.9

Thin and weak in body, often after an illness

is broader, covering any bodily fragility rather than slimness plus weakness
doddery
vsfrail
1 8.9

Being weak, unsteady, or slow in thinking because of old age

denotes simple bodily delicacy or easy breaking without implying age-related decline

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Having great physical power or being solid enough to resist force

120 3.9

Strong and able to work well in difficult conditions

79 2.1

Strong and solid so it does not break easily

How Frail

decrepit
10 6.6
frail
58 4.1
feeble
16 3.9
fragile
45 3.4
delicate
129 3.8

Surface Forms

frail positive
frailer comparative
frailest superlative

Etymology

Frail comes from the Latin word fragilis, meaning 'easily broken', and shares its root with fragile and fragment. So imagine something that can break easily — that is why we call a weak body or delicate object frail.