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fragile

   Also found in: Medical, Legal, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
frag·ile  (frjl, -l)
adj.
1. Easily broken, damaged, or destroyed; frail.
2. Lacking physical or emotional strength; delicate.
3. Lacking substance; tenuous or flimsy: a fragile claim to fame.

[French, from Old French, from Latin fragilis, from frangere, frag-, to break; see bhreg- in Indo-European roots.]

fragile·ly adv.
fra·gili·ty (fr-jl-t), fragile·ness n.
Synonyms: fragile, breakable, frangible, delicate, brittle
These adjectives mean easily broken or damaged. Fragile applies to objects that are not made of strong or sturdy material and that require great care when handled: fragile porcelain plates.
Breakable and frangible mean capable of being broken but do not necessarily imply inherent weakness: breakable toys; frangible artifacts.
Delicate refers to what is so soft, tender, or fine as to be susceptible to injury: delicate fruit.
Brittle refers to inelasticity that makes something especially likely to fracture or snap when it is subjected to pressure: brittle bones. See Also Synonyms at weak.

fragile [ˈfrædʒaɪl]
adj
1. able to be broken easily
2. in a weakened physical state
3. delicate; light a fragile touch
4. slight; tenuous a fragile link with the past
[from Latin fragilis, from frangere to break]
fragilely  adv
fragility  [frəˈdʒɪlɪtɪ], fragileness n
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.fragile - easily broken or damaged or destroyed; "a kite too delicate to fly safely"; "fragile porcelain plates"; "fragile old bones"; "a frail craft"
breakable - capable of being broken or damaged; "earthenware pottery is breakable"; "breakable articles should be packed carefully"
2.fragile - vulnerably delicate; "she has the fragile beauty of youth"
delicate - exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury; "a delicate violin passage"; "delicate china"; "a delicate flavor"; "the delicate wing of a butterfly"
3.fragile - lacking substance or significance; "slight evidence"; "a tenuous argument"; "a thin plot"; a fragile claim to fame"
unimportant, insignificant - devoid of importance, meaning, or force

fragile
adjective
1. unstable, weak, vulnerable, delicate, uncertain, insecure, precarious, flimsy The fragile government was on the brink of collapse.
2. fine, weak, delicate, frail, feeble, brittle, flimsy, dainty, easily broken, breakable, frangible Coffee was served to them in cups of fragile china.
fine lasting, strong, tough, flexible, reliable, hardy, robust, sturdy, durable, elastic, resilient
3. delicate, fine, charming, elegant, neat, exquisite, graceful, petite, dainty The haircut emphasised her fragile beauty.
4. unwell, poorly, weak, delicate, crook (Austral. & N.Z. informal), shaky, frail, feeble, sickly, unsteady, infirm He felt irritated and strangely fragile.
Translations
fragile [ˈfrædʒaɪl] ADJ
1. (= easily broken) [glass, china, object] → frágil
"fragile, handle with care"cuidado, frágil
2. (= delicate, fine) [plant, beauty, person] → delicado
3. (= frail) [person] → débil; [health] → delicado, precario
I'm feeling rather fragile this morning > (esp hum) → me siento un poco pachucho esta mañana
4. (= unstable) [peace, democracy, relationship] → precario, frágil
the fragile state of the economyel precario or frágil estado de la economía

fragile [ˈfrædʒaɪl] adjfragile

fragile
adj glass, china, objectzerbrechlich; structurefragil; fabricfein; beauty, skin, childzart; elderly persongebrechlich; situationheikel, unsicher; confidenceschwach; ceasefire, peacebrüchig; healthzart, anfällig; mental state, ego, economylabil; government, democracygeschwächt; “fragile (handle) with care”„Vorsicht, zerbrechlich!“; the fragile economic/political situationdie labile Wirtschaftslage/politische Situation; to feel fragile (inf)sich angeschlagen fühlen; to look fragile (inf)angeschlagen aussehen

fragile [ˈfrædʒaɪl] adjfragile
I'm feeling rather fragile this morning (hum) (esp after drinking) → mi sento piuttosto debole stamattina
fragile [ˈfrædʒaɪl] adjfragile
I'm feeling rather fragile this morning (hum) (esp after drinking) → mi sento piuttosto debole stamattina

fragile
adj fragile [ˈfrӕdʒail, (American ) ˈfradʒəl]
easily broken a fragile glass vase. breekbaar سريع الإنْكِسار، هَش чуплив křehký skrøbelig zerbrechlich εύθραυστος frágil kergesti purunev, habras شکستنی hauras fragile שַׁברִירִי भंगुर, नाजुक loman, krhak törékeny rapuh brothættur fragile こわれやすい 깨지기 쉬운 trapus trausls; plīstošs mudah pecah breekbaar skjør, spinkel, sprø kruchy frágil fragil хрупкий krehký krhek lomljiv bräcklig, ömtålig, skör เปราะแตกง่าย kolay kırılır, kırılgan 易碎的 крихкий; ламкий باآسانی ٹوٹنے والا mỏng manh; dễ vỡ
n fraˈgility [-ˈdʒi-]
breekbaarheid هَشاشَه، سُرْعَة الإنْكِسار чупливост křehkost skrøbelighed die Zerbrechlichkeit ευθραυστότητα fragilidad haprus سستی hauraus fragilité שְׁבִירוּת भंगुरता lomnost, krhkost törékenység kerapuhan brothætta fragilità もろさ 깨지기 쉬움 trapumas trauslums mudah pecah breekbaarheid skjørhet, spinkelhet kruchość fragilidade fragilitate хрупкость krehkosť krhkost lomljivost bräcklighet การเปราะแตกง่าย kolayca kırılma, narinlik 易碎性 крихкість, ламкість نازکی tính mỏng manh; sự yếu ớt

fragile قابل للكسر křehký skrøbelig zerbrechlich εύθραυστος frágil särkyvä fragile lomljiv fragile 壊れやすい 깨지기 쉬운 breekbaar skrøpelig delikatny frágil хрупкий ömtålig เปราะบาง kırılgan mỏng manh 易碎的


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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
Thus, with the exception of the fragile memory which the author of this book here consecrates to it, there remains to-day nothing whatever of the mysterious word engraved within the gloomy tower of Notre-Dame,--nothing of the destiny which it so sadly summed up.
`In another moment we were standing face to face, I and this fragile thing out of futurity.
Should they then abandon their horses, cast themselves loose in fragile barks upon this wild, doubtful, and unknown river; or should they continue their more toilsome and tedious, but perhaps more certain wayfaring by land?
 
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