FRAGILE Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'fragile' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of fragile are brittle , crisp , frangible , and friable . While all these words mean "breaking easily," fragile implies extreme delicacy of material or construction and need for careful handling. // a fragile antique chair

Q: In what contexts can 'brittle' take the place of 'fragile'?

The words brittle and fragile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, brittle implies hardness together with lack of elasticity or flexibility or toughness. // brittle bones

Q: When is it sensible to use 'crisp' instead of 'fragile'?

Although the words crisp and fragile have much in common, crisp implies a firmness and brittleness desirable especially in some foods. // crisp lettuce

Q: Where would 'frangible' be a reasonable alternative to 'fragile'?

The words frangible and fragile can be used in similar contexts, but frangible implies susceptibility to being broken without implying weakness or delicacy. // frangible stone used for paving

Q: When would 'friable' be a good substitute for 'fragile'?

While in some cases nearly identical to fragile , friable applies to substances that are easily crumbled or pulverized. // friable soil

fragile

adjective

ˈfra-jəl

Definition of fragile

as in delicate

easily broken attaching the beautiful but fragile ornaments to the Christmas tree is always a touchy operation

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in sensitive

easily injured without careful handling babies are fragile, so remember to care for them gently

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in small

small in degree a fragile possibility that we might emerge from this fiasco unscathed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective fragile contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of fragile are brittle, crisp, frangible, and friable. While all these words mean "breaking easily," fragile implies extreme delicacy of material or construction and need for careful handling.

a fragile antique chair

In what contexts can brittle take the place of fragile?

The words brittle and fragile are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, brittle implies hardness together with lack of elasticity or flexibility or toughness.

brittle bones

When is it sensible to use crisp instead of fragile?

Although the words crisp and fragile have much in common, crisp implies a firmness and brittleness desirable especially in some foods.

crisp lettuce

Where would frangible be a reasonable alternative to fragile?

The words frangible and fragile can be used in similar contexts, but frangible implies susceptibility to being broken without implying weakness or delicacy.

frangible stone used for paving

When would friable be a good substitute for fragile?

While in some cases nearly identical to fragile, friable applies to substances that are easily crumbled or pulverized.

friable soil

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of fragile With its fragile acoustic melodies, desolate lyrics, and spare, subtle studio accompaniment, Ride Lonesome is like Nick Drake’s mumble-folk masterpiece Bryter Layter as the work of a lovelorn Laurel Canyon soft-rock poet. — Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026 If handoffs were fragile before, agents make those handoffs fail faster and in more places at once. — Jakob Freund, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026 In July, a fragile 2022 truce between the Houthis and the government fell apart after the group welcomed an Iranian plane to Sanaa in defiance of Riyadh's control over Yemeni airspace, setting off a spate of attacks. — Khaled Wassef, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026 Challenges and solutions A major challenge for the researchers working with a quantum system is to get the signal out of the system without disturbing its fragile state. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for fragile

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fragile

Adjective

These are the glimmers of something in the fringes that keep The Cherry Orchard, even in our age of jonesing to burn it all down, so miraculously delicate and devastating.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
Rich Handel, resident laundry expert at Consumer Reports, warns that mixing heavy fabrics like denim with delicate garments increases friction and degrades the softer material.

— Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of delicate

Adjective

The ability for any app or command to control an endpoint where sensitive user speech is processed is an entirely different matter.

— Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
Most pressure-sensitive adhesives are based on polymers, long chains of repeating molecular units that become entangled with one another.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of sensitive

Adjective

Rooms This is a big hotel, with 177 rooms and suites that range in size and shape from the smallest superior rooms to the impressive top-floor penthouse.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Sep. 2026
Newsom, in his veto message at the time, cited concerns about stifling innovation and said smaller AI models, which would have been exempt from the law, could also be dangerous.

— Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of small

Adjective

O’Flynn is marvelous—brittle one moment, wonderfully funny the next—and her easy chemistry with Johnson gives the film its pulse.

— Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026
An untreated obsidian edge could be too sharp and brittle for some jobs.

— Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of brittle

Adjective

As tensions rise and boundaries begin to blur, their grandmother’s frail presence takes on an increasingly disturbing quality, turning a once-idyllic summer into a haunting passage into adulthood.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 14 Sep. 2026
Castro looked frail and thinner In his traditional olive-green fatigues, but was seen walking, standing and talking.

— Nora Gámez Torres, Miami Herald, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of frail

Adjective

This ultrathin material can line the inside of slim smartphones, smartwatches, wearable health trackers, and foldable tablets.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
In this case, the margins are even thinner and profits slimmer than Overstory’s alcoholic choices.

— Esther Tseng, Bon Appetit Magazine, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of slim

Adjective

Sets with unbreakable backboards and breakaway rims are the best type for children because breakable boards and rigid rims can lead to the little ones hurting their fingers.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 24 Aug. 2026
Water in hot springs can cause severe or fatal burns, and scalding water underlies most of the thin, breakable crust around hot springs.

— Eve Chen, USA Today, 21 July 2026

Definition of breakable

Adjective

The New York Knicks star is launching a new firm with members of his family that will manage his off-court business while also representing other clients from the world of sports and business.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
Weiss’ overhaul of the show interrupted a critical off-season period when correspondents typically try to file and finish a segment for the fall.

— Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of off

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fracturing

fragile

fragility

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“Fragile.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fragile. Accessed 22 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of fragile

adjective

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