frail

adjective

ˈfrāl 

1

: easily led into evil

frail humanity

2

: easily broken or destroyed : fragile

… frail, open-cockpit biplanes …

—Jonathan Weiner

3

a

: physically weak

a frail old woman

a frail voice

b

: slight, unsubstantial

smiled a minute frail smile

—Raymond Chandler

frailly

ˈfrā(l)-lē 

adverb

frailness noun

Synonyms

• breakable
• delicate
• fragile
• frangible

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

In his old age his health became increasingly frail.

a small and frail ship

Recent Examples on the Web

Perhaps one shudders to bring a frail thing into the reaches of such shadows. —Mara Van Der Lugt, TIME, 30 Apr. 2024

Francis, who is 87 and in increasingly frail health, also talked about his funeral plans, confirming plans to simplify burial rites for him and his successors. —Reuters, NBC News, 2 Apr. 2024

Patients with the disorder may also experience acne and have thin, frail skin that bruises easily. —Madeline Nguyen, The Arizona Republic, 25 Feb. 2024

Betz's daughter became increasingly worried about how frail her mother was and pushed her to see a specialist. —Audrey Richardson and Aurora Sousanis, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024

For both men, doctors say, caution is medically warranted: Old people are more frail than younger ones. —Michael D. Shear Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2024

Brookdale, based in Brentwood, Tenn., pioneered staffing systems based on algorithmic formulas, an approach experts say is ill-suited to caring for the elderly, who are growing more frail and are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions than previous generations. —Christopher Rowland, Washington Post, 1 Apr. 2024

Taylor was working at Subway making $700 every two weeks and paying for insulin, while dealing with seizures, hair loss and feeling frail. —Nushrat Rahman, Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024

The aging Norwegian monarch has suffered from frail health over the past few years, and has been admitted to a hospital for treatment on numerous occasions. —Jari Tanner, Quartz, 2 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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