frail

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

Synonyms of frail

• 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

In his old age his health became increasingly frail.

a small and frail ship

Recent Examples on the Web

The twenty-minute conversation about whether that procedure serves a frail 84-year-old is not. — Sachin H. Jain, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026

While sporting a bare look is often the best way to help damaged nails, already frail nails can be more susceptible to breaking without a layer of protective polish. — Alexis Berger, InStyle, 25 July 2026

The complaint alleges that over the following nine days, an increasingly frail Willis faced a systematic failure to respond to a visible and worsening crisis. — Gustavo Turner, HollywoodReporter, 24 July 2026

Certain people, such as those who are pregnant or medically frail, are exempt. — Elizabeth Chuck, NBC news, 20 July 2026

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 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