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frailty

American  
[freyl-tee, frey-uhl-] / ˈfreɪl ti, ˈfreɪ əl- /

noun

plural

frailties

  1. the quality or state of being frail.

    Synonyms:
    weakness, delicacy

  2. moral weakness; liability to yield to temptation.

  3. a fault resulting from moral weakness.

    frailties of the human flesh.
    Synonyms:
    defect, flaw
frailty British  
/ ˈfreɪltɪ /

noun

  1. physical or moral weakness

  2. (often plural) a fault symptomatic of moral weakness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • overfrailty noun

Etymology

Origin of frailty

1300–50; Middle English frailte, frelete < Old French frailete < Latin fragilitāt- (stem of fragilitās ). See frail 1, -ity

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It is also associated with frailty, a higher risk of falls, and other health complications.

From Science Daily

Group winners Belgium exposed that frailty, scoring eight goals during their two victories over Wales.

From BBC

Singing in a delicate falsetto, his voice conveys some of the frailty of age, lending the song a powerful emotional punch.

From BBC

Okrent highlights the emotional frailties that coexisted with the brilliance and generosity.

From Los Angeles Times

What emerges is a flawless depiction of human frailty and endurance.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.