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Frail vs Poorly - What's the difference?

frail | poorly | Related terms |

Frail is a related term of poorly.


As adjectives the difference between frail and poorly

is that frail is easily broken; mentally or physically fragile; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish; easily destroyed; not tenacious of life; weak; infirm while poorly is ill, unwell, sick.

As a noun frail

is a basket made of rushes, used chiefly for containing figs and raisins.

As a verb frail

is to play a stringed instrument, usually a banjo, by picking with the back of a fingernail.

As an adverb poorly is

in a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or suitable provision for comfort.

frail

English

Adjective

(er)
  • Easily broken; mentally or physically fragile; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish; easily destroyed; not tenacious of life; weak; infirm.
  • Liable to fall from virtue or be led into sin; not strong against temptation; weak in resolution; unchaste.

    • Related terms

    * fractal * fraction * fractional * fracture * fragile * fragility * frailly * frailness * frailty

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A basket made of rushes, used chiefly for containing figs and raisins.
  • The quantity of raisins contained in a frail.
  • A rush for weaving baskets.
  • (dated, slang) A girl.
  • * 1931 , (Cab Calloway) / (Irving Mills), ‘Minnie the Moocher’:
    • She was the roughest, toughest frail , but Minnie had a heart as big as a whale.
  • * 1933 , , , edition 1, Book 2, Chapter XXII:
    • There were five people in the Quirinal bar after dinner, a high-class Italian frail who sat on a stool making persistent conversation against the bartender's bored: “Si ... Si ... Si,” a light, snobbish Egyptian who was lonely but chary of the woman, and the two Americans.
  • * 1939 , (Raymond Chandler), The Big Sleep , Penguin 2011, p. 148:
    • ‘She's pickin' 'em tonight, right on the nose,’ he said. ‘That tall black-headed frail .’
  • * 1941 , Preston Sturges, '', published in ''Five Screenplays , ISBN 0-520-05442-4, page 77:
    • Sullivan, the girl and the butler get to the ground. The girl wears a turtle-neck sweater, a cap slightly sideways, a torn coat, turned-up pants and sneakers.
    SULLIVAN Why don't you go back with the car... You look about as much like a boy as .
    THE GIRL All right, they'll think I'm your frail .

    References

    *

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To play a stringed instrument, usually a banjo, by picking with the back of a fingernail.

    • Anagrams

    *

    poorly

    English

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • In a poor manner or condition; without plenty, or sufficiency, or suitable provision for comfort.
    • to live poorly
  • With little or no success; indifferently; with little profit or advantage.
    • to do poorly in business
  • Meanly; without spirit.
  • * Dryden
    • Nor is their courage or their wealth so low, / That from his wars they poorly would retire.
  • Without skill or merit.
    • He plays tennis poorly .

    Usage notes

    * Adjectives to which "poorly" is often applied: planned, conceived, executed, implemented, performing, managed, controlled, designed, represented, differentiated, suited, built, dressed, soluble, ventilated, known, paid, etc.

    Adjective

    (-)
  • ill, unwell, sick

    • Synonyms

    * See also