From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfrailfrail /freɪl/ ●○○ adjective 1 WEAKsomeone who is frail is weak and thin because they are old or ill frail elderly people her frail healthfrail body/physiquementally/physically frail► see thesaurus at weak2 BREAKsomething that is frail is easily damaged or broken SYN fragile It seemed impossible that these frail boats could survive in such a storm. the country’s frail economy
Examples from the Corpus
frail• a frail 85-year-old lady• We're talking 80,000-plus, not a frail 930.• The arm, uplifted in a cheery wave, is bony, frail, almost opalescent.• They would grow into frail and colorless women.• Walter looked extremely frail and old as he stepped out of the car.• The old woman was frail as eggshell and blind.• He looked so frail as I watched Gavin help him out of the car, followed by the cat basket.• She sat up a little straighter, raising her frail body in the bed.• The disabled and frail elderly will, of course, have special requirements and will need to select a home with a view to adaptation.• A fierce storm engulfed the frail ship.• A fierce gale, huge waves, and a drenching rain bear down upon the frail whaling ship with all their might.frail elderly people• Firstly, the effect of attitudes towards, and values concerning, frail elderly people and their carers is critical.• In the process, it discovered such homes often provided better care for seriously mentally frail elderly people than local authority accommodation.Origin frail (1300-1400) Old French fraile, from Latin fragilis, from frangere “to break” 