Synonyms of fragile

fragile 1 of 2

adjective

ˈfra-jəl 

1

as in delicate

easily broken

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• delicate
• brittle
• frail
• breakable
• frangible
• weak
• fine
• tenuous
• soft
• feeble
• flimsy
• short
• shaky
• dainty
• friable
• gossamer
• flaky
• crumbly
• slight
• spindly
• crisp
• infirm
• crispy
• inflexible
• inelastic
• tender
• eggshell
• crushable
• stiff
• shivery
• embrittled

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strong
• sturdy
• tough
• unbreakable
• substantial
• solid
• rigid
• hard
• compact
• unyielding
• firm
• resilient
• nonbreakable
• flexible
• infrangible
• elastic
• rubbery
• supple
• stretch
• springy
• rubberlike
• stretchable

2

as in sensitive

easily injured without careful handling

babies are fragile, so remember to care for them gently

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sensitive
• delicate
• frail
• weak
• vulnerable
• brittle
• tender
• soft
• feeble
• breakable
• friable
• tenuous
• flimsy
• puny
• susceptible
• perishable
• slight
• frangible
• crushable
• eggshell
• yielding
• unresistant
• resistless
• nonhardy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• tough
• strong
• substantial
• solid
• durable
• hard
• sturdy
• robust
• resistant
• rugged
• sound
• hardy
• stiff
• firm
• stout
• unbreakable
• flinty
• hardened
• tempered
• strengthened
• nonbreakable
• infrangible
• toughened
• inured

3

as in small

small in degree

a fragile possibility that we might emerge from this fiasco unscathed

Synonyms & Similar Words

• small
• slim
• off
• remote
• outside
• negligible
• slight
• marginal
• minimal
• frail
• tiny
• minor
• little

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• good
• large
• great
• significant
• distinct
• healthy
• substantial
• considerable
• sizable
• respectable
• tidy
• goodly
• largish

fragility

2 of 2

noun

1

as in exquisiteness

the state or quality of having a delicate structure

we marveled at the fragility and yet the surprising strength of the bird's wing bones

Synonyms & Similar Words

• exquisiteness
• fineness
• brittleness
• daintiness
• delicacy
• flimsiness
• frangibility
• insubstantiality
• friability
• wispiness
• diaphanousness
• crumbliness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• roughness
• solidity
• coarseness
• rudeness
• strength
• firmness
• crudity
• crudeness

2

as in weakness

the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor

the fragility of the abandoned baby bird

Synonyms & Similar Words

• weakness
• exhaustion
• fatigue
• frailty
• feebleness
• debility
• injury
• impairment
• faintness
• infirmity
• enervation
• frailness
• debilitation
• lowness
• decay
• enfeeblement
• languor
• asthenia
• tenderness
• listlessness
• languidness
• breakdown
• delicacy
• disablement
• damage
• wimpiness
• collapse
• decrepitude
• helplessness
• powerlessness
• softness
• impotence
• weariness
• prostration
• harm
• defenselessness
• lassitude
• hurt
• invalidism
• incapacitation
• impuissance
• effeteness

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strength
• robustness
• hardiness
• vigor
• vitality
• energy
• hardihood
• virility
• toughness
• fitness
• muscularity
• hardness
• ruggedness
• sturdiness
• health
• huskiness
• soundness
• stoutness
• lustiness
• healthiness
• wellness
• heftiness
• brawniness

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

Recent Examples of fragile

Adjective

His visit threatened to inflame tensions that are rife in the city after 2½ years of near-constant war and fragile ceasefires. —Julia Frankel, Los Angeles Times, 14 May 2026

Prices could remain high with no end in sight for the war despite a fragile ceasefire. —ABC News, 14 May 2026

Noun

The widespread violence exposes the fragility of Mali’s military junta’s security strategy. —Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2026

As Michael, Jaafar Jackson’s speaking voice is expressive, and his presence blends strength and fragility, power and vulnerability, even if, in dramatic scenes, the character is granted too little substance for there to be a self to express. —Richard Brody, New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2026