fragile Hear it!

fragile Definition

fragile (fraj′əl; chiefly Brit & Cdn, -īl)

adjective

  1. easily broken, damaged, or destroyed
  2. physically weak; frail; delicate
  3. tenuous; flimsy a fragile hope

Etymology: < OFr < L fragilis < frangere, break

fragile Related Forms

fra·gil′·ity (frə jil′ə tē) noun

fragile Synonyms

fragile

modif.

frail, delicate, breakable, frangible, friable, brittle, dainty, weak, flimsy; see also dainty 1, weak 1, 2.

fragile implies such delicacy of structure as to be easily broken a fragile china teacup; frangible connotes a liability to being broken because of the use to which the thing is put the bridge was constructed with frangible stone; brittle implies such inelasticity as to be easily broken or shattered by pressure or a blow the bones of the body become brittle with age; crisp suggests a desirable sort of brittleness, as of fresh celery or crackers; friable is applied to something that is easily crumbled or crushed into powder friable rock

fragile Usage Examples

Infinitive complement

move: As far as I knew, the original Munich plaque was apparently too fragile to move during ground redevelopments made in the mid 1970s.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

make: Increased breakdown of skin proteins makes the skin more fragile.

Modifies a noun

  • ecosystem: The effects on the fragile desert ecosystem are still being felt today.
  • ego: Do you really believe that fragile egos could hold together long enough for some mass movement to have got this far.
  • eco-system: Now they are back just a few short years later seeking the right to dump even more effluent into the loch's fragile eco-system.
  • X: A diagnostic blood test for fragile X became available in 1991.
  • ceasefire: Short term, it might just be possible for the US to broker a fragile ceasefire.
  • habitat: Dr. Collier said " There is a very real risk of some of the fragile habitats of the southeast being lost.

Modifying Another Word

  • ecologically: This could include, for example, attempts to limit the number of hotels in an ecologically fragile area.
  • emotionally: For someone so emotionally fragile, it might prove a dangerous form of therapy.
  • environmentally: Many of these areas are environmentally fragile and forested.
  • extremely: Some very large mussel shells can further be found by digging into the clay, these are extremely fragile.
  • incredibly: We live on that incredibly fragile, thin layer of plates floating on the subterranean sea of magma.
  • somewhat: These somewhat fragile means of communication had to be kept going at all cost during the war.

Used with adjective complement

  • seem: Blocking ActiveX ( or Java ) at the firewall seems fragile, at best [ see Dave Martin et al.
  • remain: Nevertheless despite these promising moves the peace process remained dangerously fragile.
  • prove: While the islands drove a burgeoning Atlantic economy, they proved fragile.
  • feel: To say i feel fragile would be one way of putting it.
  • look: A direct finish from the niche may be possible but the rock looks rather fragile.
  • become: But as we saw, when the masses rise the support of the police becomes fragile.