frail
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.weak and thin, especially because of old age or being sick.
adj.physically weak and delicate, particularly in reference to the elderly or those in a state of poor health.
Simple“My grandmother has become quite frail since her operation last year.”
In context“The geriatric ward is specifically designed to accommodate frail patients who require assistance with basic mobility and are at high risk of falls.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.easily broken or damaged because it is not strong.
adj.fragile or easily destroyed; lacking structural integrity or durability.
Simple“The old wooden fence was too frail to survive the storm.”
In context“The archaeologists handled the frail parchment with extreme care, fearing that the slightest pressure would cause the ancient fibers to crumble.”
- 03 C2 Proficiency
v.to play a banjo by hitting the strings with the back of your fingernail.
v.to play a stringed instrument, typically a banjo, using a rhythmic downward striking motion with the back of the fingernail.
Simple“He learned how to frail the banjo from his father in the mountains.”
In context“The musician demonstrated how to frail the strings to achieve that distinctive percussive rhythm characteristic of traditional Appalachian folk music.”
Synonymsclawhammer - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a type of basket made from dried plants, used for holding fruit.
n.a basket made of rushes, historically used for the transport of dried fruits such as figs or raisins.
Simple“The merchant packed the dried figs into a large frail for the journey.”
In context“In the museum's colonial exhibit, a woven frail sat in the corner, illustrating how goods were once packaged for maritime trade.”
“By his own account, he felt like a frail old man.”
From Middle English frele, fraill, from Old French fraile, from Latin fragilis. Cognate to fraction, fracture, and doublet of fragile.
From Middle English frayel, from Old French frael, fraiel, of unknown origin; possibly a dissimilatory variant of flael, flaiel (“flail”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.