fragile

将“fragile”拆解为“frag”和“ile”。想象一个易碎的玻璃器皿（如酒杯），它的特点是“易碎”（fragile），且有着“脆弱”的“ile”特性。通过视觉想象这个易碎的物品，可以有助于记忆这个单词的含义。

fragile 易碎的

来自fragment, 碎片。

fragile

fragile: [17] Fragile and frail [13] are doublets: that is to say, they have the same ultimate source but have evolved in different ways. In this case the source was Latin fragilis ‘breakable’, a derivative of the same base (*frag-) as produced frangere ‘break’ (whence English fractious). Fragile was acquired either directly from the Latin adjective or via French fragile, but frail passed through Old French frale or frele on its way to English. Other English words to come from *frag- include fragment [15] (from Latin fragmentum) and saxifrage, literally ‘rockbreaker’.
=> fraction, fracture, fragment, frail, saxifrage

fragile (adj.)

1510s, "liable to sin, morally weak;" c. 1600, "liable to break;" a back-formation from fragility, or else from Middle French fragile (Old French fragele, 14c.), from Latin fragilis "easily broken," from root of frangere "to break" (see fraction). Transferred sense of "of frail constitution" (of persons) is from 1858.

1. He remains the anchor of the country's fragile political balance.

他仍然是维系该国脆弱的政治平衡的支柱。

2. The fragile economies of several southern African nations could be irreparably damaged.

一些南非国家的脆弱经济可能会被彻底破坏，无法挽回。

3. She was small and fragile and looked incongruous in an army uniform.

她又小又弱，穿一身军装看起来很不协调。

4. Because of the extreme cold, the Antarctic is a uniquely fragile environment.

极度严寒造成了南极地区绝无仅有的脆弱环境。

5. He placed one hand heavily on a fragile, wobbling table.

他把一只手重重地放在一张摇摇晃晃的桌上。

【fragile, weak, frail, feeble】
这组词都有“虚弱的，乏力的”的意思，其区别是：
fragile: 可与frail换用，但语气强，侧重脆弱，指人容易生病，指物容易破碎。
weak: 普通用词，指缺乏应有的力量，可用于身体、意志或精神。
frail: 多指因经常生病而身体纤弱。
feeble: 指身体衰弱无力，精力几乎耗尽，含令人怜悯的意味。

【invalid, crisp, fragile, brittle, frail】
这组词都有“弱”的意思，其区别是：
invalid: a.不正确的，缺乏证据的；无效的，作废的。作名词时，表示病弱者，伤残者，久病者。
• Your ideas about the first humans are interesting but invalid. 你关于最早的人类的观点很有意思，但是缺乏证据。
• A bad car accident made him an invalid. 一次严重的车祸使他变成了残疾。
crisp: a.指食品的松脆；清新的，爽快的；活跃的，有生气的，干净利落的。
• crisp biscuit 松脆的饼干
• The student gave a clear, crisp answer to the teacher's question. 学生干净利落地回答了老师的问题。
fragile: a.常常修饰使用时必须小心才不会破碎的东西，也引申为体弱的，虚弱的。
• He 's feeling a bit fragile after last night's party. 他参加了昨晚的聚会以后，现在感觉有些虚弱。
brittle: a.易碎的，易损坏的，通常是指坚硬的东西。
• The bones of elderly people become brittle and easily broken. 老年人的骨头变得脆弱，很容易骨折。
frail: a. (指人)体弱的，虚弱的，也可以指东西易碎的。
• His mother has grown old and frail. 他母亲已经年老体弱。

【faint, fragile, weak, feeble】
faint: a.虚弱的，眩晕的，指人在特定场合感觉到的虚弱，通常不是天生体质上的虚弱而是由于某种原因造成的暂时的情况。
• The summer sun was so strong that she felt faint. 夏天的阳光太强烈了，她感觉到眩晕。
fragile: a.脆弱的，易碎的，指物体容易打碎，或人体质虚弱、容易受伤害。
• That dish is fragile, so be careful. 那个盘子容易碎，所以千万小心。
weak: a.这组词中应用范围最广的一个，既可以指身体虚弱的，无力的，也可引申为在力量、权力、技能、影响等方面有欠缺或软弱。
• The patient is losing blood and becoming weak. 病人在失血，身体开始虚弱下去。
feeble: a.虚弱的，无力的，常用来形容人的声音或行为。
• The elderly lady has become feeble and unable to care herself. 这个老太太已经很虚弱了，无法照顾她自己。