fragility

/frə'dʤiliti/

Thân thiện

The glass vase sits on the edge of the table, a reminder of its fragility.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • The state of being easily broken, damaged, or destroyed: This is the primary meaning, referring to the physical property of an object or material that is delicate and not strong.
   • Lack of physical strength or robustness: This sense refers to a condition of being weak, frail, or vulnerable, often applied to living things or systems.
   • The quality of being tenuous or insecure: This extends the meaning to abstract concepts, indicating something is easily upset, disrupted, or lost.

Usage

The word "fragility" is a formal noun used to describe a core characteristic of weakness or delicacy. It is often used in scientific, medical, artistic, and analytical contexts to highlight vulnerability.

Examples

• Physical Objects:
  • The fragility of the antique vase required careful handling.
  • The experiment demonstrated the fragility of the thin glass membrane.
• Living Things & Health:
  • The doctor noted the patient's increasing fragility due to age.
  • The ecosystem's fragility makes it susceptible to climate change.
• Abstract Concepts:
  • The political agreement was celebrated, but its fragility was widely acknowledged.
  • He was surprised by the fragility of his own confidence under pressure.

Advanced Usage

• "Fragility of...": A common construction to specify what is fragile.
  • The report discusses the fragility of global supply chains.
• Inherent/Intrinsic fragility: Emphasizes that the fragility is a fundamental, built-in property.
  • The intrinsic fragility of the material limits its applications.

Variants and Related Words

• Fragile (adj): Easily broken or damaged; delicate.
  • Handle the package with care; its contents are fragile.
• Frail (adj): (Of a person) weak and delicate; (of a thing) easily damaged.
  • Her grandmother was becoming increasingly frail.

Synonyms

• Delicacy: The quality of being delicate, especially in a pleasing way, but also implying ease of damage.
• Brittleness: The tendency to break or snap easily (often used for hard materials like glass or dry wood).
• Frailty: The condition of being weak and delicate (more commonly used for health or moral weakness).
• Vulnerability: The quality of being open to attack or harm.

Antonyms

• Robustness: The quality of being strong and healthy; able to withstand stress.
• Durability: The ability to withstand wear, pressure, or damage.
• Resilience: The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.
• Sturdiness: The quality of being strongly built or constituted.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Handle with care: This phrase is a direct instruction often used for fragile items, closely related to the concept of fragility.
  • The box was labeled "fragile" and "handle with care".
• Walking on eggshells: This idiom describes a situation of extreme caution to avoid upsetting someone or damaging something fragile, like a fragile relationship or mood.
  • After their argument, he felt like he was walking on eggshells around her.

Học thuật

Noun

1. lack of physical strength
2. quality of being easily damaged or destroyed

Từ đồng nghĩa

• delicacy
• breakability
• frangibleness
• frangibility