different between helpless vs fragile
helpless
English
Etymology
From Middle English helples, from Old English *helpl?as (“helpless”) from Proto-Germanic *help?lausaz, equivalent to help +? -less. Compare Dutch hulpeloos (“helpless”), German hilflos (“helpless”), Swedish hjälplös (“helpless”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /?h?lpl?s/
- Hyphenation: help?less
Adjective
helpless (comparative more helpless, superlative most helpless)
- Unable to defend oneself.
- 1995, Bryan Adams, Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?
- Then when you find yourself lyin' helpless in her arms
- You know you really love a woman
- 1995, Bryan Adams, Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?
- Lacking help; powerless.
- Unable to act without help; needing help; feeble.
- Uncontrollable.
- a helpless urge
- (obsolete) From which there is no possibility of being saved.
- For, while they fly that gulf's devouring jawes,
They on the rock are rent and sunck in helplesse wawes.
- For, while they fly that gulf's devouring jawes,
Derived terms
- helplessly
- helplessness
Translations
Further reading
- helpless in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
- helpless in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
helpless From the web:
- what helpless means
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fragile
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)
- 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.
- (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)
- 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
- inflection of fragil:
- strong/mixed nominative/accusative feminine singular
- strong nominative/accusative plural
- weak nominative all-gender singular
- 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)
- 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
- nominative neuter singular of fragilis
- accusative neuter singular of fragilis
- vocative neuter singular of fragilis
fragile From the web:
- what fragile mean
- what fragile x syndrome
- what fragile pills do
- what's fragile masculinity
- what's fragile x
- what fragile means in tagalog
- what's fragile in filipino
- what's fragile watermarking
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