Can I use the word 'fragile' in this sentence?
He died of a heart attack during a fragile operation.
Thank you for answering in advance.
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6Are you using 'fragile' to mean 'delicate'?– KillingTimeCommented Aug 7, 2020 at 11:03
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2fragile - easily broken. Would you say "an easily broken operation"?– GreybeardCommented Aug 7, 2020 at 13:02
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Thank you for your comments. I wanted to use this word to mean such as 'careless, negligent, inattentive'. Is it possible to use this word? Or for any meaning, is "fragile poeration" strange?– MinCommented Aug 7, 2020 at 14:51
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3No, you cannot use fragile in that sense. Kumar's answer was downvoted because people didn't realise that that was indeed what you were trying to say. You could use something like badly managed if you didn't want to be quite so blunt.– Kate BuntingCommented Aug 7, 2020 at 15:34
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I understand. Thank you!– MinCommented Aug 7, 2020 at 17:11
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1 Answer
I reckon 'botched' will be a better word than fragile.
Regards
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3The use of "botched" implies blame on the part of the surgical team and there is nothing in the original question to infer that this is the case. Commented Aug 7, 2020 at 10:56
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3I concur with @KillingTime. The term "botched" would not be acceptable unless you are trying to point the finger at the surgeon. As above, the word "delicate" would be much better. Commented Aug 7, 2020 at 12:47
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Bungled is another option. So is delicate. A person or an art object may be fragile, but not an operation.– XanneCommented Aug 7, 2020 at 22:12