different between flexible vs fragile

English

Etymology

From Middle French flexible, from Latin flexibilis, from flect? (“I bend, curve”).

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?fl?k.s?.b?l/, /?fl?k.s?.b?l/

Adjective

flexible (comparative more flexible, superlative most flexible)

1. Capable of being flexed or bent without breaking; able to be turned or twisted without breaking.

   Synonym: pliable

   Antonyms: stiff, brittle, inflexible

   When the splitting wind Makes flexible the knees of knotted oaks. -William Shakespeare

2. Willing or prone to give way to the influence of others; not invincibly rigid or obstinate.

   Synonyms: tractable, manageable, ductile

   Phocion was a man of great severity, and no ways flexible to the will of the people. - Francis Bacon.

   Women are soft, mild, pitiful, and flexible. - William Shakespeare

3. Capable or being adapted or molded in some way.

   Synonyms: plastic, malleable

   a flexible language

   This was a principle more flexible to their purpose. -Rogers.

Synonyms

Derived terms

• flexibly
• flexibleness

Related terms

• flexibility
• inflexible

Translations

See also

• foldable

Noun

flexible (plural flexibles)

1. (chiefly engineering and manufacturing) Something that is flexible.

References

• flexible in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• flexible on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• flexibility on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Asturian

Etymology

From Latin flexibilis.

Adjective

flexible (epicene, plural flexibles)

1. flexible

   Antonym: inflexible

Related terms

• flexibilidá

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin flexibilis.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic, Central) IPA^(key): /fl?k?si.bl?/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /flek?si.ble/

Adjective

flexible (masculine and feminine plural flexibles)

1. flexible

   Antonym: inflexible

Derived terms

• disc flexible
• flexibilitzar

Related terms

• flexibilitat

Further reading

• “flexible” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “flexible” in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana.
• “flexible” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “flexible” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin flexibilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fl?k.sibl/
• Homophone: flexibles
• Hyphenation: flex?sible

Adjective

flexible (plural flexibles)

1. flexible

Derived terms

• flexiblement
• inflexible

Related terms

• flexibilité

Further reading

• “flexible” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Galician

Alternative forms

• flexíbel

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin flexibilis.

Adjective

flexible m or f (plural flexibles)

1. flexible

Antonyms

• inflexible, inflexíbel

Related terms

• flexibilidade

Further reading

• “flexible” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

German

Adjective

flexible

1. inflection of flexibel:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin flexibilis, from flect? (“to bend, curve”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fle??sible/, [fle???si.??le]

Adjective

flexible (plural flexibles)

1. flexible (clarification of this definition is needed)

   Antonym: inflexible

Derived terms

• disco flexible
• flexibilidad
• flexibilizar
• flexibilización

Related terms

• flexión
• flexionar

Further reading

• “flexible” in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014.

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French fragile, from Latin fragilis, formed on frag-, the root of frangere (“to break”). Cognate fraction, fracture and doublet of frail.

Pronunciation

• (UK, General Australian, Canada) IPA^(key): /?f?æd?a?l/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?f?æd??l/
• Rhymes: -æd??l

Adjective

fragile (comparative fragiler or more fragile, superlative fragilest or most fragile)

1. Easily broken or destroyed, and thus often of subtle or intricate structure.

   The chemist synthesizes a fragile molecule.

   The UN tries to maintain the fragile peace process in the region.

   He is a very fragile person and gets easily depressed.

2. (Britain) Feeling weak or easily disturbed as a result of illness.

Synonyms

• friable
• breakly
• breakable
• destroyable
• destructible
• See also Thesaurus:fragile

Antonyms

• durable
• unbreakable
• undestroyable
• indestructible
• antifragile

Derived terms

• fragilely

Related terms

• fractal
• fraction
• fractional
• fracture
• fragility
• frail
• frailty
• frangible

Translations

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin fragilis. Doublet of frêle.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f?a.?il/
• Homophone: fragiles

Adjective

fragile (plural fragiles)

1. fragile

Related terms

• fragiliser
• fragilité

Further reading

• “fragile” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• giflera

German

Adjective

fragile

1. inflection of fragil:
   1. strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
   2. strong nominative/accusative plural
   3. weak nominative all-gender singular
   4. weak accusative feminine/neuter singular

Italian

Etymology

From Latin fragilis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?fra.d??i.le/
• Hyphenation: frà?gi?le

Adjective

fragile (plural fragili)

1. fragile

Derived terms

• fragilmente
• infragilire

Related terms

• frale
• fragilità

Further reading

• fragile in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Latin

Adjective

fragile

1. nominative neuter singular of fragilis
2. accusative neuter singular of fragilis
3. vocative neuter singular of fragilis