Synonyms for

Brittle

Verb / ˈbrɪtʌl / Another word for brittle — explore alternatives below. For syllable breakdowns and pronunciation, see this word on Syllablesworld.

Definition

easily broken or cracked

Synonyms & similar words

toffee unannealed brickle toffy brickly fragile crisp breakable frangible delicate crunchy hard shatterable weak decomposable friable crumbly flimsy cracky

Synonyms by register

Formal

fragile friable brash

Informal

easily broken snap-prone

Literary

shatterable splintery

Antonyms

tough flexible resilient strong durable elastic pliable

Common collocations

  • brittle bones
  • brittle material
  • brittle nature
  • brittle glass
  • brittle personality
  • brittle fracture
  • brittle condition

Word family

noun brittleness
adjective brittle
adverb brittly

Usage note

Often used to describe materials that break easily, but can also describe a personality or condition that is easily upset or damaged.

Example sentences

  1. The leaves on the tree were so brittle they crumbled when I touched them.
  2. The old vase was so brittle that it shattered when it fell off the shelf.
  3. The cookie was too brittle to eat.
  4. The branches on the tree were so brittle they snapped in the wind.
  5. The clay pot was so brittle it cracked in the oven.

Quotes

  • The thing about a spiral is, if you follow it inward, it never actually ends. It just keeps tightening, infinitely. - John Green
  • I am a woman, phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that's me. - Maya Angelou
  • The world breaks everyone, and afterward, some are strong at the broken places. - Ernest Hemingway

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