frailty

noun

ˈfrāl-tē How to pronounce frailty (audio)
Definition of frailtynext
1
as in weakness
a defect in character selfishness is a common human frailty

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in exhaustion
the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor frailty doesn't affect all elderly people, for many are indeed healthy and strong

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in softness
the quality or state of lacking strength of will or character the frailty shown by the apostle Peter when he denied Jesus three times

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun frailty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of frailty are failing, fault, foible, and vice. While all these words mean "an imperfection or weakness of character," frailty implies a general or chronic proneness to yield to temptation.

human frailties

When would failing be a good substitute for frailty?

The words failing and frailty can be used in similar contexts, but failing suggests a minor shortcoming in character.

being late is a failing of mine

In what contexts can fault take the place of frailty?

The words fault and frailty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, fault implies a failure, not necessarily culpable, to reach some standard of perfection in disposition, action, or habit.

a writer of many virtues and few faults

When can foible be used instead of frailty?

While the synonyms foible and frailty are close in meaning, foible applies to a harmless or endearing weakness or idiosyncrasy.

an eccentric's charming foibles

When is it sensible to use vice instead of frailty?

The synonyms vice and frailty are sometimes interchangeable, but vice can be a general term for any imperfection or weakness, but it often suggests violation of a moral code or the giving of offense to the moral sensibilities of others.

compulsive gambling was his vice

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of frailty But the film belongs to Farmer, Jacobs’ own grandmother, who gives Hettie an unfussy sturdiness of mien and spirit to counter the growing, sighing frailty of her person, and a steady, narrow stare that occasionally seems to see through time. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026 Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, a day that reminds us of human frailty and the call to reflection. —Nadia Cantú, AZCentral.com, 3 Feb. 2026 Income, location, frailty, and more could bias certain patients towards a morning or afternoon time, skewing the results of retrospective studies. —Angus Chen, STAT, 2 Feb. 2026 What the memoir mainly does is reassure you that Gavin Newsom is a person with frailties and failings. —Maya Singer, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for frailty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frailty
  1. weakness
  2. exhaustion
  3. sin
  4. feebleness
  5. fault
  6. fatigue
  7. shortcoming
Noun
  • If your goal is to get at the truth, or at least our closest approximation of it at the present time, the way to do that is to be scrupulous and forthright about the strengths and weaknesses of every link in your chain of argument.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 10 Feb. 2026
  • This can raise resting heart rate, increase weakness and fatigue, and reduce endurance—even during everyday activities, not just exercise.
    — Katharine Gammon, Time, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of weakness
Noun
  • There’s a collective exhaustion with aggression, dominance being dressed up as confidence and leadership styles that demand sacrifice without offering sustainability.
    — Kelly Ehlers, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
  • But six days into 2025, Peter Seidler’s widow contested control of the team in a lawsuit brought against her brothers-in-law, and manager Mike Shildt retired 11 days after the season ended, citing exhaustion, while many on his staff and in the front office had been exhausted by him.
    — Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of exhaustion
Noun
  • But does exchanging flirty messages with Ghislaine Maxwell while he was married three years before Jeffrey Epstein was first publicly accused of wrongdoing in 2006 really constitute a career-ending sin?
    — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Easter is the Christian celebration of Jesus Christ's victory over sin and death through his resurrection.
    — Chris Sims, IndyStar, 13 Feb. 2026
Definition of sin
Noun
  • When hair endures damage from styling treatments, color, or heat, the hair’s keratin composition can be compromised, leading to feebleness and a greater risk of breakage.
    — Sophie Wirt, InStyle, 30 Jan. 2026
Definition of feebleness
Noun
  • When a vehicle loses power, however, electronic doors go from an inconvenience to a potentially lethal design fault.
    — Adam Ismail, The Drive, 5 Feb. 2026
  • When the tectonic plates began to pull apart millions of years later, those ancient faults at their edges reawakened, reincarnated as transform faults.
    — Evan Howell, Scientific American, 4 Feb. 2026
Definition of fault
Noun
  • Some of those benefits are reduction in swelling and inflammation, pain relief, lowering of stress levels and fatigue.
    — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 14 Feb. 2026
  • Valvular heart disease, in which one more of the heart's valves don't function properly, can make the heart work harder and, over time, lead to conditions like chest pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Feb. 2026
Definition of fatigue
Noun
  • Veterans have often been some of the harshest (and most clear-eyed) analysts of the military’s shortcomings.
    — Missy Ryan, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Super’s plan to turn the company around seeks to address long-standing shortcomings and identifies some more ambitious opportunities.
    — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2026
Definition of shortcoming

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frailties
frailty
frame
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Cite this Entry

“Frailty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frailty. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of frailty for Spanish Speakers

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