frailty

noun

frail·ty ˈfrāl-tē

plural frailties

Synonyms of frailty

: the quality or state of being frail

the frailty of her health

the frailty and disability in the elderly

: a fault due to weakness especially of moral character

Satire … often employs irony and sarcasm to denounce the frailties and faults of mankind.—Harry Shaw

Choose the Right Synonym for frailty

fault, failing, frailty, foible, vice mean an imperfection or weakness of character.

fault implies a failure, not necessarily culpable, to reach some standard of perfection in disposition, action, or habit.

a writer of many virtues and few faults

failing suggests a minor shortcoming in character.

being late is a failing of mine

frailty implies a general or chronic proneness to yield to temptation.

human frailties

foible applies to a harmless or endearing weakness or idiosyncrasy.

an eccentric's charming foibles

vice can be a general term for any imperfection or weakness, but it often suggests violation of a moral code or the giving of offense to the moral sensibilities of others.

compulsive gambling was his vice

Examples of frailty in a Sentence

the frailty of her voice We can no longer be surprised by the frailties of our political leaders.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Part of Hull’s defensive frailties stemmed from their inconsistent press, which often lacked full commitment, leaving large gaps for opponents to exploit. — Conor O'Neill, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Gemma’s increasing frailty and the newfound demands of being a spiritist courier now tasked with the most important job of all provide star Eve a fine enough base to play. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 19 Aug. 2026 People who followed the advice over three months improved their grip strength, increased their bone mass, and were more active than controls, suggesting that frailty can be improved with lifestyle interventions. — Veronique Greenwood, Time, 17 Aug. 2026 Causes linked to possible frailty are bucking the trend, though, with death rates from malnutrition up more than 50% from 2019. — Meg Wingerter, Denver Post, 9 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frailty

Word History

Etymology

Middle English frelete, freelte, borrowed from Anglo-French freleté, going back to Latin fragilitāt-, fragilitās, from fragilis "liable to break, weak, fragile" + -itāt-, -itās -ity

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of frailty was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Browse Nearby Words

frailness

frailty

fraim

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Frailty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frailty. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

frailty

noun

frail·ty ˈfrā(-ə)l-tē

plural frailties

: the quality or state of being frail

: a weakness of character

frailty

noun

Synonyms of frailty

Examples of frailty in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

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