WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
frag•ile /ˈfrædʒəl/USA pronunciation
adj.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- easily broken or damaged:a fragile vase.
- delicate in appearance:fragile beauty.
- lacking in substance or force; flimsy:a fragile excuse.
frag•ile
(fraj′əl; Brit. fraj′īl),USA pronunciation adj.
frag′ile•ly, adv.
fra•gil•i•ty
(frə jil′i tē),USA pronunciation frag′ile•ness, n.
- easily broken, shattered, or damaged;
delicate;
brittle;
frail:a fragile ceramic container; a very fragile alliance. - vulnerably delicate, as in appearance:She has a fragile beauty.
- lacking in substance or force;
flimsy:a fragile excuse.
- Latin fragilis, equivalent. to frag- (variant stem of frangere to break) + -ilis -ile
- 1505–15
- 1. See frail 1.
'bone fragility' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):