frail

1 of 2

adjective

ˈfrāl 

1

: easily broken or destroyed : fragile

… frail, open-cockpit biplanes …

—Jonathan Weiner

2

a

: physically weak

a frail old woman

a frail voice

b

: slight, unsubstantial

… smiled a minute frail smile.

—Raymond Chandler

3

: easily led into evil

frail humanity

frailly

ˈfrā(l)-lē 

adverb

frailness noun

frailness

2 of 2

noun

frail·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being frail

the frailness of the child from birth made her susceptible to every prevailing illness

a frailness of character, a tendency to give up easily

Synonyms of frail

Adjective

• fragile
• delicate

Choose the Right Synonym for frail

weak, feeble, frail, fragile, infirm, decrepit mean not strong enough to endure strain, pressure, or strenuous effort.

weak applies to deficiency or inferiority in strength or power of any sort.

felt weak after the surgery

feeble suggests extreme weakness inviting pity or contempt.

a feeble attempt to walk

frail implies delicacy and slightness of constitution or structure.

a frail teenager unable to enjoy sports

fragile suggests frailty and brittleness unable to resist rough usage.

a reclusive poet too fragile for the rigors of this world

infirm suggests instability, unsoundness, and insecurity due to old age or disabling illness.

infirm residents requiring constant care

decrepit implies being worn-out or broken-down from long use or old age.

the dowager's decrepit retainers

Examples of frail in a Sentence

Adjective

In his old age his health became increasingly frail.

a small and frail ship

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The frail, gray humanoid figure greets Daniel and Margaret like old friends as they, and the world, stand in awe. —Jack Smart, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026

The law had said medically frail people include those who have substance use disorders, disabilities or serious medical conditions. —ABC News, 11 June 2026

Sitting down on the bench next to bottles and cans is only for the brave and for the elderly person too frail to stand for a long time. —Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026

These moments are delightfully painful moments that remind just how frail this current moment in our relationship to technology continues to be. —David John Chávez, Mercury News, 29 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English frele, frayle, borrowed from Anglo-French frel, fraile, going back to Latin fragilis "liable to break, weak" — more at fragile

Noun

Middle English frelenesse, freelnesse, frailnesse, from frele, freel, frail + -nesse -ness

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for frail

• ail
• ale
• bail
• baile
• dail
• fail
• flail
• gael
• gail
• grail
• hail
• jail

Kids Definition

frail

adjective

ˈfrā(ə)l 

1

: easily led into evil

frail humanity

2

: fragile

3

: not having normal strength or force

spoke in a frail voice

frailly

ˈfrā(ə)l-lē 

adverb

frailness noun