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brittle
[ brit-l ]
adjective
- having hardness and rigidity but little tensile strength; breaking readily with a comparatively smooth fracture, as glass.
Synonyms: fragile
- easily damaged or destroyed; fragile; frail:
a brittle marriage.
- lacking warmth, sensitivity, or compassion; aloof; self-centered:
a self-possessed, cool, and rather brittle person.
- having a sharp, tense quality:
a brittle tone of voice.
- unstable or impermanent; evanescent.
noun
- a confection of melted sugar, usually with nuts, brittle when cooled:
peanut brittle.
verb (used without object)
- to be or become brittle; crumble.
brittle
/ ˈbrɪtəl /
adjective
- easily cracked, snapped, or broken; fragile
- curt or irritable
a brittle reply
- hard or sharp in quality
noun
- a crunchy sweet made with treacle and nuts
peanut brittle
brittle
/ brĭt′l /
- Having a tendency to break when subject to high stress. Brittle materials have undergone very little strain when they reach their elastic limit, and tend to break at that limit.
- Compare ductile
Derived Forms
- ˈbrittlely, adverb
Other Words From
- brittle·ness noun
- un·brittle adjective
- un·brittle·ness noun
Word History and Origins
Origin of brittle1
Word History and Origins
Origin of brittle1
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
The team also found that artifacts treated with the liquifying gels better maintained their cellular structure and were less brittle than those treated with the solid gels.
He said he would “revert water up into the hills where you have all the dead forests, where the forests are so brittle” in order to prevent wildfires.
He would be short, could have facial abnormalities, maybe brittle bones and there was a 50% chance that he would be stillborn.
Authoritarian, narcissistic leaders like Trump are profoundly brittle.
The former president said he would “revert water up into the hills where you have all the dead forests, where the forests are so brittle” in order to prevent wildfires.
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