Fragile — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective /ˈfra-jəl/ frag·ile

Meaning & Definition of Fragile

Fragile (adjective)

  1. easily broken or destroyed
  2. constitutionally delicate, lacking in vigor
  3. tenuous, slight

Fragile (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. easily broken

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

    similar: breakable, delicate, frail, frangible
    related: dainty, fine, gossamer, eggshell, flimsy, slight, tenuous, brittle, crisp, crispy, crumbly, crushable, embrittled, flaky, friable, shaky, shivery, short, feeble, infirm, soft, spindly, tender, weak, inelastic, inflexible, stiff
    opposite: infrangible, nonbreakable, strong, sturdy, tough, unbreakable
    near: compact, firm, hard, rigid, solid, substantial, unyielding, elastic, flexible, resilient, rubberlike, rubbery, springy, stretch, stretchable, supple

  2. easily injured without careful handling

    "babies are fragile, so remember to care for them gently"

    similar: delicate, frail, sensitive, tender
    related: breakable, brittle, crushable, eggshell, frangible, friable, feeble, flimsy, puny, slight, soft, tenuous, weak, nonhardy, perishable, resistless, susceptible, unresistant, vulnerable, yielding
    opposite: tough
    near: durable, firm, flinty, hard, hardy, resistant, robust, rugged, solid, sound, stiff, stout, strong, sturdy, substantial, infrangible, nonbreakable, unbreakable, hardened, inured, strengthened, tempered, toughened

  3. small in degree

    "a fragile possibility that we might emerge from this fiasco unscathed"

    similar: frail, negligible, off, outside, remote, slight, slim, small
    related: marginal, minimal, minor, little, tiny
    opposite: good
    near: great, large, distinct, significant, considerable, goodly, healthy, largish, respectable, sizable, substantial, tidy

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Fragile

The most common words with a similar meaning to Fragile:

breakable, delicate, frail, frangible, sensitive, tender, negligible, off, outside, remote, slight, slim, small

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Fragile

Words with the opposite meaning of Fragile:

infrangible, nonbreakable, strong, sturdy, tough, unbreakable, good

Related Words for Fragile

dainty, fine, gossamer, eggshell, flimsy, tenuous, brittle, crisp, crispy, crumbly, crushable, embrittled, flaky, friable, shaky, shivery, short, feeble, infirm, soft, spindly, weak, inelastic, inflexible, stiff, puny, nonhardy, perishable, resistless, susceptible

Near Antonyms of Fragile

compact, firm, hard, rigid, solid, substantial, unyielding, elastic, flexible, resilient, rubberlike, rubbery, springy, stretch, stretchable, supple, durable, flinty, hardy, resistant, robust, rugged, sound, stiff, stout, hardened, inured, strengthened, tempered, toughened

Word Forms of Fragile

Derived words: fragility (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Fragile

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French fragile, borrowed from Latin fragilis, from frag-, variant stem of frangere "to break, shatter" + -ilis "subject to, susceptible to (the action of the verb)" (alteration of -ibilis -ible, originally by haplology after verb stems ending in a labial consonant) break:1

First known use: 1521

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Fragile

Words & Phrases Containing Fragile

fragile X syndrome

Frequently Asked Questions about Fragile

What does "Fragile" mean?

"Fragile" means easily broken or destroyed. As an adjective, it is defined as: easily broken or destroyed. It has 3 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Fragile"?

Other words for "Fragile" include breakable, delicate, frail, frangible, sensitive, tender, negligible and off. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Fragile" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Fragile"?

There are 51 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Fragile". Common alternatives include breakable, delicate, frail, frangible, sensitive, tender, negligible, off, outside and remote.

What is the opposite of "Fragile"?

Antonyms of "Fragile" include infrangible, nonbreakable, strong, sturdy, tough, unbreakable and good. Near antonyms include compact, firm, hard and rigid.

How do you use "Fragile" in a sentence?

Examples of "Fragile" in a sentence: "attaching the beautiful but fragile ornaments to the Christmas tree is always a touchy operation"; "babies are fragile, so remember to care for them gently"; "a fragile possibility that we might emerge from this fiasco unscathed".

Is "Fragile" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Fragile" is an adjective.

Is "Fragile" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Fragile" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Fragile"?

"Fragile" is pronounced /ˈfra-jəl/ and divided into syllables as frag·ile.