brittle

[ brit-l ]

/ ˈbrɪt l /

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adjective, brit·tler, brit·tlest.

having hardness and rigidity but little tensile strength; breaking readily with a comparatively smooth fracture, as glass.

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), brit·tled, brit·tling.

to be or become brittle; crumble.

Nearby words

britt, brittany, brittany blue, brittany spaniel, britten, brittle, brittle bone disease, brittle bones, brittle diabetes, brittle fern, brittle star

Origin of brittle

1350–1400; Middle English britel, equivalent to brit- (akin to Old English brysten fragment) + -el adj. suffix

SYNONYMS FOR brittle

1 fragile. See frail¹.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR brittle ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsbrit·tle·ness, nounun·brit·tle, adjectiveun·brit·tle·ness, noun

Can be confusedbrittle fragile frail¹ (see synonym study at frail¹)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for brittle

Instead of being strong and resilient, bones become weak and brittle.
You’re Never ‘Cured’ of an Eating Disorder|Carrie Arnold|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Brittle egos are bolstered less by what they love about themselves than what they find contemptible in others.
Why Boring Names Are Best|Justin Green|March 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Her many style tics—stacked one atop the other—read as code for narcissism, self-indulgence, and brittle self-absorption.
Newt Gingrich's Wife Callista's Prissy Style Problem|Robin Givhan|December 13, 2011|DAILY BEAST
“Petulant,” “brittle” and “very very mean” are all words Isaacson used to describe Jobs at times.
Best Bits From the Steve Jobs Bio|Sadie Bass|October 24, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Cook at 425 degrees for about 10 minutes or broil quickly until the brittle has melted to give a smooth covering.
Sweet Brits|Lydia Brownlow|April 4, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The battery has rubber jars which are brittle, and which are easily broken.
The Automobile Storage Battery|O. A. Witte
Aunt Adela, Rachel thought, was far too dried and brittle to risk any sharp contact with anything.
The Duchess of Wrexe|Hugh Walpole
The heat caused it to soften; then fermentation set in, and, finally, it became as hard and brittle as thin glass.
Great Fortunes, and How They Were Made|James D. McCabe, Jr.
The Scythe is an emblem of time, which cuts the brittle thread of life and launches us into eternity.
Masonic Monitor of the Degrees of Entered Apprentice, Fellow Craft and Master Mason|George Thornburgh
Still it comes to something in their likeness, but we will not talk of it and break off the chrystals—they are so brittle, then?
The Letters of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett, Vol. 1 (of 2) 1845-1846|Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Barrett

British Dictionary definitions for brittle

brittle

/ (ˈbrɪtəl) /

adjective

easily cracked, snapped, or broken; fragile

curt or irritablea brittle reply

hard or sharp in quality

noun

a crunchy sweet made with treacle and nutspeanut brittle

Derived Formsbrittlely or brittly, adverb

Word Origin for brittle

C14: from Old English brytel (unattested); related to brytsen fragment, brēotan to break

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for brittle

brittle

adj.

late 14c., britel, perhaps from an unrecorded Old English adjective *brytel, related to brytan "to crush, pound, to break to pieces," from Proto-Germanic stem *brutila- "brittle," from *breutan "to break up" (cf. Old Norse brjota "to break," Old High German brodi "fragile"), and related to bruise (v.). With -le, suffix forming adjectives with meaning "liable to."

Science definitions for 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.

brittle

adjective, brit·tler, brit·tlest.

noun

verb (used without object), brit·tled, brit·tling.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of brittle

Examples from the Web for brittle

British Dictionary definitions for brittle

brittle

adjective

noun

Word Origin for brittle

Word Origin and History for brittle

brittle

Science definitions for brittle

brittle