fragile

adjective

frag·​ile ˈfra-jəl 

-ˌjī(-ə)l

1

a

: easily broken or destroyed

a fragile vase

fragile bones

b

: constitutionally (see constitutionally sense 2a) delicate : lacking in vigor

a fragile child

2

: tenuous, slight

fragile hope

a fragile coalition

fragility

frə-ˈji-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms of fragile

• delicate
• brittle
• frail
• breakable

Choose the Right Synonym for fragile

fragile, frangible, brittle, crisp, friable mean breaking easily.

fragile implies extreme delicacy of material or construction and need for careful handling.

a fragile antique chair

frangible implies susceptibility to being broken without implying weakness or delicacy.

frangible stone used for paving

brittle implies hardness together with lack of elasticity or flexibility or toughness.

brittle bones

crisp implies a firmness and brittleness desirable especially in some foods.

crisp lettuce

friable applies to substances that are easily crumbled or pulverized.

friable soil

synonyms see in addition weak

Examples of fragile in a Sentence

Her health has always been very fragile.

an artist with a fragile ego

He is in an emotionally fragile state.

The two countries have formed a fragile coalition.

Recent Examples on the Web

The golf practice center would disturb an already fragile ecosystem with a high water table, the board wrote. —Kenneth R. Gosselin, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2026

United States Vice President JD Vance arrived in Switzerland on Sunday to commence peace negotiations with senior Iranian officials, as both sides work to expand a fragile interim agreement aimed at ending the war. —Rebecca Schneid, Time, 21 June 2026

The election is viewed as a test of Colombia’s fragile democracy a decade after its landmark peace deal with FARC rebels. —Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 21 June 2026

The combatants have now renewed their fragile truce, which has repeatedly threatened US-Iran negotiations. —Caitlin Danaher, CNN Money, 20 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French fragile, borrowed from Latin fragilis, from frag-, variant stem of frangere "to break, shatter" + -ilis "subject to, susceptible to (the action of the verb)" (alteration of -ibilis -ible, originally by haplology after verb stems ending in a labial consonant) — more at break entry 1

First Known Use

1521, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing fragile

• fragile X
• fragile X syndrome

Rhymes for fragile

• agile

Kids Definition

fragile

adjective

frag·​ile ˈfraj-əl 

-ˌīl

: easily broken or destroyed : delicate

fragility

frə-ˈjil-ət-ē 

noun