fragile
Easily broken or damaged.
fragile in a sentence
- 'Careful, that vase is fragile,' warned Gran, as Tom carried it with both hands.
- The birds' eggs are so fragile that even a gentle knock could crack their thin shells.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to fragile?
- Asturdy
- Bdelicate
- Ctough
- Dstrong
Show the answer
B: delicate. The other three mean the opposite of fragile.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to fragile?
- Aweak
- Btough
- Cdelicate
- Dbreakable
Show the answer
B: tough. The other three mean nearly the same as fragile.
Words that mean something similar
delicate, breakable, weak
Words that mean the opposite
tough, sturdy, strong
More words about appearance & looks
- frail: Weak and delicate, often because of age or illness.
- gaunt: Very thin and bony, often from being ill or hungry.
- ghastly: Horrible, shocking or very unpleasant.
- gnarled: Twisted, knobbly and rough, like a very old tree.
- grimace: To twist your face because of pain or disgust.
- grotesque: Strange and ugly in a way that is frightening or silly.
- haggard: Looking very tired and worn out.
- identical: Exactly the same in every way.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test