different between fragile vs pliable

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

English

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French ploiable, from ploiier (“to fold”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?pla??b?l/
• Rhymes: -a??b?l

Adjective

pliable (comparative more pliable, superlative most pliable)

1. Soft, flexible, easily bent, formed, shaped, or molded.

2. Easily persuaded; yielding to influence.

Synonyms

• (soft, flexible): lithy

Derived terms

• pliableness
• pliably

Related terms

• pliability
• pliancy
• pliant
• ply

Translations

Further reading

• pliable in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• pliable in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• pliable at OneLook Dictionary Search

French

Etymology

plier +? -able

Adjective

pliable (plural pliables)

1. pliable

Further reading

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