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

• 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 figures were outgoing Spanish Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez, Santiago Carrillo, head of the Spanish Communist Party, and armed forces chief Manuel Gutiérrez Mellado who, though a frail near-70, got up to order the rebel Guards to lay down their arms. —John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025

The fate of one of the few remaining opposition figures who was still in the country depended on the frail relationship between the Cuban government and the United States. —Nora Gamez Torres, Miami Herald, 13 Oct. 2025

And when live mice were also equipped with the naked mole-rat cGAS, aging rodents were less frail, had less gray hair and had healthier organs for longer than animals in a control group. —New Atlas, 12 Oct. 2025

Women disproportionately suffer chronic disease, on average spend 25% more time in poor health than men, and, on average, experience the final 12 to 14 years of their lives in frail health. —Maria Shriver, Time, 9 Oct. 2025

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

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