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

Many works of Georges Méliès are even believed to have been burned as the original negatives, as the nitrate film stock is incredibly fragile and inflammable. —Munis Raza, Interesting Engineering, 9 Mar. 2026

But schedules have slipped before, perhaps unsurprisingly, in a fragile environment where every operation is preceded by months of modeling and mock-ups. —Yusuke Maekawa, Bloomberg, 8 Mar. 2026

At the same time, the domestic box office is fragile, and the industry needs movies like Bride! —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 8 Mar. 2026

The tiny minority that held this fragile wealth has long needed protection, both from the vast numbers of oppressed people needed to extract it and from the federal government determined to protect them. —USA Today, 8 Mar. 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