What does fragility mean?
Word: Fragility
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Fragility means the quality of being easily broken, damaged or hurt.
Synonyms: delicacy, weakness, frailty
Antonyms: toughness, sturdiness
How do you spell fragility?
Syllables: fra - gil - i - ty
Tricky part: Like agile, the base word drops its final e before ity, and the l stays single. Students write fragillity or keep the e (fragilety).
Watch out for: fragillity, fragilety, fragilaty
Memory tip: Agile becomes agility with one l, and this word works the same way.
Fragility in a sentence
Example 1: The fragility of the butterfly's wings means you should never hold one.
Example 2: Because of the fragility of the glass bangles, the shopkeeper wrapped each one in paper.
Example 3: The old palm-leaf manuscripts are kept in a cool room because of their fragility.
Fun Fact
Parcels with breakable things are often marked with a picture of a stemmed glass, an international sign that means handle with care.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its opposite:
1. fragility 2. poverty 3. scarcity a. wealth b. plenty c. strength
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
b) 1-c, 2-b, 3-a
c) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
d) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
Show answer
a) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b. Fragility is the opposite of strength, poverty of wealth and scarcity of plenty.
Spellacadabra
Choose the correct option to make a meaningful word:
fra_ility
a) dg
b) g
c) gg
d) j
Show answer
b) g. The soft g sound here is a plain g, as in fragile.
Spell Spies
Choose the pair which has a spelling error:
a) agile : agility
b) generous : generosity
c) electric : electrisity
d) curious : curiosity
Show answer
c) electric : electrisity. Electricity keeps the c of electric.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
tiligyfar
a) the habit of saving money carefully
b) being delicate and likely to crack or break
c) a feeling of great happiness
d) the skill of speaking well in public
Show answer
b) being delicate and likely to crack or break. The nine letters rearrange to fragility, the quality of breaking easily.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Because of its fragility, a soap bubble ____.
a) sinks to the bottom of water
b) can be thrown like a ball
c) lasts for many years
d) bursts at the slightest touch
Show answer
d) bursts at the slightest touch
2. Which object is known for its fragility?
a) a brick
b) a rubber ball
c) an egg
d) an iron rod
Show answer
c) an egg
