frailty

noun

frail·​ty ˈfrāl-tē 

plural frailties

1

: the quality or state of being frail

the frailty of her health

the frailty and disability in the elderly

2

: a fault due to weakness especially of moral character

Satire … often employs irony and sarcasm to denounce the frailties and faults of mankind.

—Harry Shaw

Synonyms of frailty

• weakness
• sin
• fault
• shortcoming

Choose the Right Synonym for frailty

fault, failing, frailty, foible, vice mean an imperfection or weakness of character.

fault implies a failure, not necessarily culpable, to reach some standard of perfection in disposition, action, or habit.

a writer of many virtues and few faults

failing suggests a minor shortcoming in character.

being late is a failing of mine

frailty implies a general or chronic proneness to yield to temptation.

human frailties

foible applies to a harmless or endearing weakness or idiosyncrasy.

an eccentric's charming foibles

vice can be a general term for any imperfection or weakness, but it often suggests violation of a moral code or the giving of offense to the moral sensibilities of others.

compulsive gambling was his vice

Examples of frailty in a Sentence

the frailty of her voice

We can no longer be surprised by the frailties of our political leaders.

Recent Examples on the Web

Since the frailty of supply chains has been repeatedly exposed in the past decade, the AI models also factor in these conditions during the discovery process itself to ensure that the material developed is practically possible and can be scaled. —Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 8 June 2026

The thriller about ambition, rivalry and human frailty, set in the ballet world, evoked visceral reactions — from adrenaline highs to pull-pinions-from-your-flesh shudders. —Celia Wren, Washington Post, 4 June 2026

The database also did not include some details that would help explain the findings, including X-rays, arthritis severity, pain scores, functional status, inflammatory markers, physical activity, frailty, or weight changes over time. —Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 3 June 2026

One-year mortality after hip fracture in older adults is approximately 22%, and climbs substantially when dementia or frailty is already present. —Adaira Landry, Forbes.com, 28 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English frelete, freelte, borrowed from Anglo-French freleté, going back to Latin fragilitāt-, fragilitās, from fragilis "liable to break, weak, fragile" + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

frailty

noun

frail·​ty ˈfrā(-ə)l-tē 

plural frailties

1

: the quality or state of being frail

2

: a weakness of character