frail

Word family

frail /freɪl/ adjectiveadj

1 WEAKsomeone who is frail is weak and thin because they are old or ill 〔因年老或生病而〕瘦弱的，虚弱的，衰弱的

frail elderly people

年老体衰者

her frail health

她虚弱的身体

frail body/physique 瘦弱的身体/虚弱的体格

mentally/physically frail 心理脆弱的/身体衰弱的

► see thesaurus at weak

2 BREAKsomething that is frail is easily damaged or broken 不坚实的，不牢固的，易损坏的 SYN fragile

It seemed impossible that these frail boats could survive in such a storm.

这些单薄的小船看样子经不起这样的狂风暴雨。

the country’s frail economy

该国疲弱的经济

Examples from the Corpus

frail• a frail 85-year-old lady• We're talking 80,000-plus, not a frail 930.• The arm, uplifted in a cheery wave, is bony, frail, almost opalescent.• They would grow into frail and colorless women.• Walter looked extremely frail and old as he stepped out of the car.• The old woman was frail as eggshell and blind.• He looked so frail as I watched Gavin help him out of the car, followed by the cat basket.• She sat up a little straighter, raising her frail body in the bed.• The disabled and frail elderly will, of course, have special requirements and will need to select a home with a view to adaptation.• A fierce storm engulfed the frail ship.• A fierce gale, huge waves, and a drenching rain bear down upon the frail whaling ship with all their might.

frail elderly people• Firstly, the effect of attitudes towards, and values concerning, frail elderly people and their carers is critical.• In the process, it discovered such homes often provided better care for seriously mentally frail elderly people than local authority accommodation.

Origin frail

(1300-1400) Old French fraile, from Latin fragilis, from frangere “to break”

frail adjectiveadj

Chinese

Corpus