Fragilizado

Fragilizado is a Portuguese adjective meaning made fragile or weakened, used to describe something that has become more vulnerable or susceptible to damage. It can refer to a physical object that lost strength, a person who is emotionally or physically delicate, or a situation or system that has deteriorated due to stress, instability, or neglect.

Etymology: The term comes from the verb fragilizar (to make fragile), formed from fragilis in Latin, with the usual Portuguese derivation -izar to create verbs and -ado for the past participle/adjective.

Usage: Fragilizado is common in both Brazilian and European Portuguese in formal and informal contexts. Examples include economia fragilizada (fragilized economy), relação fragilizada (fragile/strained relationship), país fragilizado (fragile/fragilized country), and pessoa fragilizada (someone who is emotionally fragile). In materials science, fragilização refers to processes that render a material more brittle, such as embrittlement.

See also: fragilidade, fragilização, vulnerabilidade, debilitado.

Notes: The term emphasizes a state of increased fragility rather than an inherent or permanent weakness, and it is often used to describe dynamic processes or evolving conditions rather than fixed properties.