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fragile - 5 dictionary results

frag⋅ile

[fraj-uhl; Brit. fraj-ahyl]
–adjective
1. easily broken, shattered, or damaged; delicate; brittle; frail: a fragile ceramic container; a very fragile alliance.
2. vulnerably delicate, as in appearance: She has a fragile beauty.
3. lacking in substance or force; flimsy: a fragile excuse.

Origin:
1505–15; < L fragilis, equiv. to frag- (var. s. of frangere to break ) + -ilis -ile


frag⋅ile⋅ly, adverb
fra⋅gil⋅i⋅ty [fruh-jil-i-tee] , frag⋅ile⋅ness, noun


1. See frail 1 .
frag·ile   (frāj'əl, -īl')   
adj.  
  1. Easily broken, damaged, or destroyed; frail.
  2. Lacking physical or emotional strength; delicate.
  3. Lacking substance; tenuous or flimsy: a fragile claim to fame.

[French, from Old French, from Latin fragilis, from frangere, frag-, to break; see bhreg- in Indo-European roots.]
frag'ile·ly adv., fra·gil'i·ty (frə-jĭl'ĭ-tē), frag'ile·ness n.
Synonyms: These adjectives mean easily broken or damaged. Fragile applies to objects that are not made of strong or sturdy material and that require great care when handled: fragile porcelain plates.
Breakable and frangible mean capable of being broken but do not necessarily imply inherent weakness: breakable toys; frangible artifacts.
Delicate refers to what is so soft, tender, or fine as to be susceptible to injury: delicate fruit.
Brittle refers to inelasticity that makes something especially likely to fracture or snap when it is subjected to pressure: brittle bones. See Also Synonyms at weak.

Fragile

Frag"ile\, a. [L. fragilis, from frangere to break; cf. F. fragile. See Break, v. t., and cf. Frail, a.] Easily broken; brittle; frail; delicate; easily destroyed.

The state of ivy is tough, and not fragile. --Bacon.

Syn: Brittle; infirm; weak; frail; frangible; slight. -- Frag"ile*ly, adv.
Language Translation for : fragile
Spanish: frágil,
German: zerbrechlich,
Japanese: こわれやすい

fragile

adj. Syn brittle.

fragile
brittle

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