frail - Dictionary Definition : Vocabulary.com

Something that is delicate and fragile can be described as frail. Grandma's favorite vase is probably too frail to use for football practice; some of us have learned that the hard way.

Frail can also used to describe a person's physical condition: "When I broke my grandmother's vase, she yelled in a voice so loud that it was hard to believe it was coming from her small, frail frame." Another way to use frail is in reference to a person's emotional state. As the poet Sylvia Plath astutely observed, "How frail the human heart must be."

PRIMARY MEANINGS OF: frail

1	adj	physically weak
2	n	a basket for holding dried fruit (especially raisins or figs)

FULL DEFINITIONS OF: frail

1

adj physically weak

“an invalid's frail body”

Synonyms: delicate
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury; debile, decrepit, feeble, infirm, rickety, sapless, weak, weakly
lacking bodily or muscular strength or vitality; light-boned
having a bone structure that is light with respect to the surrounding flesh; weak
wanting in physical strength

Antonyms:: robust
sturdy and strong in form, constitution, or construction; rugged
sturdy and strong in constitution or construction; enduring; healthy
having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease; beefy, buirdly, burly, husky, strapping
muscular and heavily built; big-boned
having a bone structure that is massive in contrast with the surrounding flesh; big-chested, chesty
marked by a large or well-developed chest; big-shouldered, broad-shouldered, square-shouldered
having broad shoulders; cast-iron, iron
extremely robust; hardy, stalwart, stout, sturdy
having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships; hardy
able to survive under unfavorable weather conditions; half-hardy
(of plants) requiring protection from frost; heavy-armed
having massive arms; square-built
broad and solidly built; vigorous
strong and active physically or mentally; strong
having strength or power greater than average or expected; show more antonyms...

adj easily broken or damaged or destroyed

“a frail craft”

Synonyms:: delicate, fragile

: breakable
capable of being broken or damaged

adj wanting in moral strength, courage, or will; having the attributes of man as opposed to e.g. divine beings

“frail humanity”

Synonyms:: fallible, imperfect, weak

: human
having human form or attributes as opposed to those of animals or divine beings

2

n a basket for holding dried fruit (especially raisins or figs)

Type of:: basket, handbasket
a container that is usually woven and has handles

n the weight of a frail (basket) full of raisins or figs; between 50 and 75 pounds

Type of:: weight, weight unit
a unit used to measure weight