This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
brittle
[ brit-l ]
/ ËbrÉȘt l /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
adjective, brit·tler, brit·tlest.
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.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I canât figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Origin of brittle
First recorded in 1350â1400; Middle English britel, equivalent to brit- (akin to Old English brysten âfragmentâ) + -el adjective suffix
synonym study for brittle
1. See frail1.
OTHER WORDS FROM brittle
brit·tle·ness, nounun·brit·tle, adjectiveun·brit·tle·ness, nounWords nearby brittle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use brittle in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for brittle
brittle
/ (ËbrÉȘtÉl) /
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 forms of brittle
brittlely or brittly, adverbWord Origin for brittle
C14: from Old English brytel (unattested); related to brytsen fragment, brÄotan 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
Scientific definitions for brittle
brittle
[ brÄtâČl ]
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.
The American HeritageÂź Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.