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fragility
/frædʒɪləti/
the quality of being easily broken or damaged
The fragility of glass makes it unsuitable for rough handling.
Glass breaks easily, so it requires careful handling.
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
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
suffixEnglish Dictionary