fragile
/ˈfradʒʌɪl
/adjective
1(Of an object) easily broken or damaged: fragile items such as glass and china...
- Tourists also damage the fragile ecosystem by dumping plastic waste and driving over the grasslands.
- It's best to watch them from the openings rather than swimming in, because you could damage the fragile coral roofs and frighten them off.
- It had not occurred to them that a side-effect of their research might be damaging to the fragile ecology of the country they were studying.
Synonyms
breakable, easily broken, brittle, frangible, smashable, splintery, flimsy, weak, frail, insubstantial, delicate, dainty, fine;
eggshell
1.1Easily destroyed or threatened: you have a fragile grip on reality...
- Separatist conflicts are threatening to destroy the country's fragile democracy.
- Unfortunately, Peter is also quickly losing his already fragile grip on reality.
- The situation worsens, and threatens the fragile peace and stability of an entire region.
Synonyms
tenuous, easily broken, easily destroyed, easily threatened, vulnerable, perilous, flimsy, shaky, rocky, risky, unreliable, suspect, nebulous, unsound, insecure
informal iffy, dicey
British informal dodgy
1.2(Of a person) not strong or sturdy; delicate and vulnerable: a small, fragile old lady his fragile health somewhat improved...
- We are fragile and vulnerable, and shall remain so for as long as we are creatures.
- His boss had given him a few days off from work to watch over his ailing daughter and fragile wife.
- In this case the most frail and fragile patients, newborns, are the ones who are being affected.
Synonyms
weak, delicate, frail, debilitated, tottery, shaky, trembly, ill, unwell, ailing, poorly, sickly, infirm, feeble, enfeebled, unsound
British informal dicky
Derivatives
fragilely
- They treat them more and more fragilely until pretty soon the older person feels that they are totally dependent on this individual.
- Startling, the first time, how fragilely they are attached.
- The economies need to be robust, not fragilely dependent on commodities - again, politics and the economy dance in tandem.
Origin
Late 15th century (in the sense 'morally weak'): from Latin fragilis, from frangere 'to break'. The sense 'liable to break' dates from the mid 16th century.