fragile
pronunciation
How to pronounce fragile in British English:
UK [ˈfrædʒaɪl]
How to pronounce fragile in American English:
US [ˈfrædʒl]
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- Adjective:
- easily broken or damaged or destroyed
- vulnerably delicate
- lacking solidity or strength
Word Origin
- fragile
- fragile: [17] Fragile and frail [13] are doublets: that is to say, they have the same ultimate source but have evolved in different ways. In this case the source was Latin fragilis ‘breakable’, a derivative of the same base (*frag-) as produced frangere ‘break’ (whence English fractious). Fragile was acquired either directly from the Latin adjective or via French fragile, but frail passed through Old French frale or frele on its way to English. Other English words to come from *frag- include fragment [15] (from Latin fragmentum) and saxifrage, literally ‘rockbreaker’.=> fraction, fracture, fragment, frail, saxifrage
- fragile (adj.)
- 1510s, "liable to sin, morally weak;" c. 1600, "liable to break;" a back-formation from fragility, or else from Middle French fragile (Old French fragele, 14c.), from Latin fragilis "easily broken," from root of frangere "to break" (see fraction). Transferred sense of "of frail constitution" (of persons) is from 1858.
Example
- 1. Consumer and business confidence is fragile .
- 2. This can be very damaging to a fragile mind .
- 3. They are fragile and need tender loving care .
- 4. Hybrid cars : are they too fragile ?
- 5. That new ice will often be fragile and thin , easily disrupted by summer weather .