fragile
adjective /ˈfrædʒaɪl/
/ˈfrædʒl/
- easily broken or damaged
- fragile china/glass/bones
- Be careful not to drop it; it’s very fragile.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- become
- feel
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- weak and uncertain; easy to destroy or harm
- a fragile alliance/ceasefire/relationship
- The economy remains extremely fragile.
- In her job she was used to dealing with actors’ fragile egos.
- fragile habitats threatened by pollution
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- become
- feel
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- thin or light and often beautiful
- fragile beauty
- The woman's fragile face broke into a smile.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- become
- feel
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
- not strong and likely to become ill
- Her father is now 86 and in fragile health.
- (British English, informal) I'm feeling a bit fragile after last night (= not well, perhaps because of drinking too much alcohol).
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- become
- feel
- …
- extremely
- fairly
- very
- …
Word Originlate 15th cent. (in the sense ‘morally weak’): from Latin fragilis, from frangere ‘to break’. The sense ‘liable to break’ dates from the mid 16th cent.