frail

CEFRB2

/fɹeɪl/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Physically weak and easily hurt or damaged.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    In an infirm state leading one to be easily subject to disease or other health problems, especially regarding the elderly.

Examples

  • He was too frail to play games outdoors.

  • My grandmother was gradually becoming forgetful and frail.

At a glance

Sits at B2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
1

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings
  1. Weak; infirm.

  2. Easily broken physically; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish.

  3. Mentally fragile.

More examples

In context
  • Returne with ſpeed, time paſſeth ſwift away, Our life is fraile, and we may dye to day.

  • Its nest is composed of the frailest materials, and is light and small in proportion to the size of the bird

  • Frail smoke of morning in the air and a sort of muffled hum that is not sound but is not silence either.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The blank old woman could not carry her own shopping bags.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Middle English frele, fraill, from Old French fraile, from Latin fragilis. Cognate to fraction, fracture, and doublet of fragile.