crumbly

[ kruhm-blee ]

adjective

, crum·bli·er, crum·bli·est.

1. apt to crumble; friable.

crumbly

/ ˈkrʌmblɪ /

adjective

1. easily crumbled or crumbling

noun

1. slang.
   an older person

Derived Forms

• ˈcrumbliness, noun

Other Words From

• crumbli·ness noun
• un·crumbly adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crumbly¹

First recorded in 1515–25; crumble + -y ¹

Example Sentences

If you’re dealing with a dry or crumbly cake, Baldwin’s first guess is over-baking.

From Salon

There’s crumbly, saline feta stored in squat disposable tubs; orange-tinged cheddar slices, ranging from mild to sharp, in slim plastic sleeves; and selection upon selection of uniformly grated and shredded varieties, each hermetically encased in crinkling, resealable bags.

From Salon

The bread was thin and appropriately crumbly, the pate a nice thick schmear and the jalapeño provided quite a kick.

From Seattle Times

I have eaten more than my weight in specifically Parmigiano Reggiano and mozzarella over the years, and is the epitome of a comfort food for me — from the saline, crystallized bites in the aforementioned parmesan to the salty, crumbly bite of feta.

From Salon

All-rounder Stokes added: "It looked green and grassy up in the changing rooms, but then you go out there it looked different: very dark and crumbly and quite a few cracks in it."

From BBC

Related Words

• powdery
• soft