brittle

American  

[brit-l] / ˈbrɪt l /

adjective

brittler, brittlest

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

   Synonyms:

   fragile

2. easily damaged or destroyed; fragile; frail.

   a brittle marriage.

3. lacking warmth, sensitivity, or compassion; aloof; self-centered.

   a self-possessed, cool, and rather brittle person.

4. having a sharp, tense quality.

   a brittle tone of voice.

5. unstable or impermanent; evanescent.

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noun

1. a confection of melted sugar, usually with nuts, brittle when cooled.

   peanut brittle.

verb (used without object)

brittled, brittling

1. to be or become brittle; crumble.

brittle British  

/ ˈbrɪtəl /

adjective

1. easily cracked, snapped, or broken; fragile

2. curt or irritable

   a brittle reply

3. hard or sharp in quality

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noun

1. a crunchy sweet made with treacle and nuts

   peanut brittle

brittle Scientific  

/ brĭt′l /

1. 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.

2. Compare ductile

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Related Words

See frail ¹.

Other Word Forms

• brittlely adverb
• brittleness noun
• unbrittle adjective
• unbrittleness noun

Etymology

Origin of brittle

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English britel, equivalent to brit- (akin to Old English brysten “fragment”) + -el adjective suffix

Example Sentences

When stretched, solids elongate until they reach a critical stress point, then break suddenly in a process known as brittle fracture.

From Science Daily

It had been brittle and barely alive to begin with, like the fallen leaves of Deadwood.

From Literature

The old revolutionary story has grown brittle, feeble.

From The Wall Street Journal

Confidence in the near-term prospects may be brittle—and at the mercy of developments in the Middle East —but several bullish signs have emerged that should give rise to longer-term optimism.

From Barron's

The ice under his boots was brittle, and each step rang out across the ravine.

From Literature