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

Under a cowboy hat and a long poncho, Weir looked visibly frail on stage. —Paul Liberatore, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026

Yes, Alice, the old, frail woman the series positions as suffering from Alzheimers or dementia was the Dahlonega serial killer. —Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 14 Jan. 2026

Birdie is physically frail, emotionally fragile, too chatty — the epitome of her name. —Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 13 Jan. 2026

The culminating episode, as the mob smashes and ransacks a hospital and terrorizes its patients, ultimately reveals a frail elderly man, standing naked and alone in an empty bathtub as the assailants approach. —John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 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