fragile
fra·gil/ˈfɹæd͡ʒəl/adjective, noun
fragile is spelled F-R-A-G-I-L-E: 7 letters and 2 syllables (fra·gil). It appears 7.2 times per million words in written English, the 8,784th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, fragile means “Easily broken, not sturdy; of delicate material” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in fragile?
| Letters | 7: F-R-A-G-I-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: fra·gil |
| In writing | 7.2 times per million words; the 8,784th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is fragile?
Fragile appears 7.2 times per million words in written English, the 8,784th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce fragile?
- UK /ˈfɹæd͡ʒaɪl/
- US /ˈfɹæd͡ʒəl/
Fragile has 2 syllables, split fra·gil in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-ca-fragile.ogg, En-us-fragile.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of fragile
- fragiler comparative
- more fragile comparative
- fragilest superlative
- most fragile superlative
- fragiles plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does fragile mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Easily broken, not sturdy; of delicate material.
She caught the fragile vase before it could shatter on the floor.
- 2
Readily disrupted or destroyed.
The UN tries to maintain the fragile peace process in the region.
- 3
UKFeeling weak or easily disturbed as a result of illness.
- 4
UKThin-skinned or oversensitive.
He is a very fragile person and gets easily depressed.
noun
- 1
Something that is fragile.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Fragile in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense easily broken or destroyed:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | fragile |
| German | fragil, zerbrechlich |
| Portuguese | frágil |
| Spanish | frágil |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does fragile come from?
Borrowed from Middle French fragile, from Latin fragilis, formed on frag-, the root of frangere (“to break”). Cognate with fraction, fracture and doublet of frail.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).