fragility

/frædʒɪləti/
nounIntermediate the quality of being easily broken or damaged
general

the quality of being easily broken or damaged

The fragility of the antique vase required special care during transport.

The old vase was delicate and needed to be handled carefully to avoid breaking.

💡

Often used to describe physical objects that are easily broken, but can also refer to emotional or psychological vulnerability.

Collocations

fragility of lifethe delicate and easily broken nature of human existencefragility of the economythe vulnerability of the economic system to collapse or instability

Related Phrases

fragileadjective
easily broken or damaged
fragile statephrase
a condition of being easily broken or damaged

💡Pro Tip

Literal vs. Metaphorical Use

Fragility can describe physical objects (e.g., glass) or abstract concepts (e.g., emotional fragility).

Gold Rule

Avoid Overuse

While 'fragility' is a precise term, overusing it can make your writing sound overly negative or pessimistic.

📖Word Origin

From Latin 'fragilis' meaning 'breakable' or 'brittle', derived from 'frangere' meaning 'to break'.

📝Usage Notes

Can be used both literally (for physical objects) and metaphorically (for emotional or psychological states).

Word Breakdown

fragil
breakable
root
+
-ity
quality of
suffix
English Dictionary