fragile
UK /ˈfɹæd͡ʒaɪl/ · US /ˈfɹæd͡ʒəl/ adjective, noun
Forms fragiler fragilest fragiles
- adjective Easily broken, not sturdy; of delicate material. “She caught the fragile vase before it could shatter on the floor.”
- adjective (figuratively) Readily disrupted or destroyed. “The UN tries to maintain the fragile peace process in the region.”
- adjective (UK) Feeling weak or easily disturbed as a result of illness.
- adjective (UK) Thin-skinned or oversensitive. “He is a very fragile person and gets easily depressed.”
- noun Something that is fragile.
Synonyms
uneasy breakable delicate destructible flimsy tender frail frailsome frangible slim tenuous slight thin
Antonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Middle French fragile, from Latin fragilis, formed on frag-, the root of frangere (“to break”). Cognate with fraction, fracture and doublet of frail.
Webster’s 1913
Etymology [L. fragilis, from frangere to break; cf. F. fragile. See Break, v. t., and cf. Frail, a.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “fragile”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details