frail
Weak and delicate, often because of age or illness.
frail in a sentence
- The frail old man gripped the handrail with both hands as he climbed the steps.
- The baby bird looked too frail to fly, its thin wings trembling with each little flap.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to frail?
- Astrong
- Bweak
- Chardy
- Dtough
Show the answer
B: weak. The other three mean the opposite of frail.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to frail?
- Aweak
- Bstrong
- Cfeeble
- Ddelicate
Show the answer
B: strong. The other three mean nearly the same as frail.
Words that mean something similar
weak, feeble, delicate
Words that mean the opposite
strong, hardy, tough
Careful: frail is not flimsy
Flimsy describes things that are badly made. Frail describes living things that have grown weak. Read why children mix them up.
More words about appearance & looks
- 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.
- illegible: So messy that it cannot be read.
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