fragile

adjective

frag·​ile ˈfra-jəl How to pronounce fragile (audio)
-ˌjī(-ə)l
1
a
: easily broken or destroyed
a fragile vase
fragile bones
b
: constitutionally (see constitutionally sense 1a) delicate : lacking in vigor
a fragile child
2
: tenuous, slight
fragile hope
a fragile coalition
fragility noun
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Their batting line-up appeared particularly fragile. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025 When Klarna struck a partnership deal with food delivery group DoorDash in March, journalists seized on the notion of consumers paying for pizzas in installments as evidence of BNPL lenders tempting customers to overextend in a fragile economy. Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 13 June 2025 One or even two pink-collar jobs means a fragile hold in the middle class (at best); the best defense against downward mobility is a blue-collar job, only 17 percent of which are held by women. Joan C. Williams june 13, Literary Hub, 13 June 2025 Kyodo via Associated Press China, which for decades has helped prop up North Korea's fragile economy, joined the other four U.N. Security Council members in voting for the current sanctions regime following North Korea's fourth and fifth nuclear weapons tests in 2016. Micah McCartney, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for fragile

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of fragile was in 1521

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fragile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fragile. Accessed 23 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

fragile

adjective
frag·​ile ˈfraj-əl How to pronounce fragile (audio)
-ˌīl
: easily broken or destroyed : delicate
fragility noun

More from Merriam-Webster on fragile

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