frail

UK: /ˈfreɪl/ US: /freɪl/ ,(frāl)

Inflections of 'frail' (adj):

frailer

adj comparative

frailest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

frail¹ /freɪl/   adj., -er, -est. 

1. having delicate health;
   weak:
   He was old and frail.
2. easily broken or destroyed;
   fragile:
   The climber dangled by one frail rope.

See -frac-.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

frail¹  (frāl), adj., -er, est. 

1. having delicate health;
   not robust;
   weak:
   My grandfather is rather frail now.
2. easily broken or destroyed;
   fragile.
3. morally weak;
   easily tempted.

n. 

4. [Older Slang] (sometimes offensive). a girl or woman.

• Latin fragilis fragile
• Old French
• Middle English frail(e), frel(e) 1300–50

frail′ly, adv. 
frail′ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1, 2. feeble; breakable, frangible.
  Frail, brittle, fragile imply a delicacy or weakness of substance or construction.
  Frail applies particularly to health and immaterial things:
  a frail constitution; frail hopes.
  Brittle implies a hard material that snaps or breaks to pieces easily:
  brittle as glass.
  Fragile implies that the object must be handled carefully to avoid breakage or damage:
  fragile bric-a-brac.

Antonyms

• 1, 2. sturdy.

frail²  (frāl), n. 

1. a flexible basket made of rushes, used esp. for dried fruits, as dates, figs, or raisins.
2. Weights and Measures a certain quantity of raisins, about 75 lb. (34 kg), contained in such a basket.

• ?
• Old French frayel
• Middle English frayel, fraelle 1300–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

frail / freɪl/ adjective

1. physically weak and delicate
2. fragile: a frail craft
3. easily corrupted or tempted

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French frele, from Latin fragilis, fragile

frail / freɪl/ noun

1. a rush basket for figs or raisins
2. a quantity of raisins or figs equal to between 50 and 75 pounds

Etymology: 13th Century: from Old French fraiel, of uncertain origin