adjective

frail

/freɪl/ · say it: FRAYL

weak and delicate

In Describing & Comparing

In more detail

1. (adjective) physically weak or delicate, especially because of illness or old age

2. (adjective) easily broken or damaged; fragile

Examples

1. The elderly patient has become frail and needs assistance with daily tasks.
2. The frail wooden bridge cannot support heavy vehicles.

How to use frail

Frail is used to describe both physical weakness in people (especially the elderly or sick) and the delicate, easily-damaged nature of objects or structures. It carries a somewhat formal or literary tone and often suggests vulnerability or a fragile state that may worsen. Unlike 'weak,' frail implies inherent delicacy rather than temporary exhaustion.

Common phrases

frail health
frail elderly
frail constitution
grow frail
frail figure

Synonyms

weak · delicate · fragile · feeble · slight

Opposites

robust · strong · sturdy

Word family

frailty (noun) · frailly (adverb)

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use frail to describe emotional or mental weakness, but it is primarily physical in contemporary English.

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