brittle

1 of 2

adjective

brit·​tle ˈbri-tᵊl 

brittler ˈbrit-lər 

ˈbri-tᵊl-ər

; brittlest ˈbrit-ləst 

ˈbri-tᵊl-əst

1

a

: easily broken, cracked, or snapped

brittle clay

brittle glass

b

: easily disrupted, overthrown, or damaged : frail

a brittle friendship

2

a

: perishable, mortal

b

: transitory, evanescent

3

: easily hurt or offended : sensitive

a brittle personality

4

: sharp

the brittle staccato of snare drums

5

: lacking warmth, depth, or generosity of spirit : cold

a brittle selfish person

6

medical : affected with or being a form of type 1 diabetes characterized by large and unpredictable fluctuations in blood glucose level

brittlely

ˈbri-tᵊl-(l)ē 

adverb

brittleness

ˈbri-tᵊl-nəs 

noun

brittle

2 of 2

noun

: a candy made with caramelized sugar and nuts spread in thin sheets

peanut brittle

Synonyms

Adjective

• brickle [dialect]
• crisp
• crispy
• crumbly
• embrittled
• flaky
• flakey
• friable
• short

Choose the Right Synonym for brittle

fragile, frangible, brittle, crisp, friable mean breaking easily.

fragile implies extreme delicacy of material or construction and need for careful handling.

a fragile antique chair

frangible implies susceptibility to being broken without implying weakness or delicacy.

frangible stone used for paving

brittle implies hardness together with lack of elasticity or flexibility or toughness.

brittle bones

crisp implies a firmness and brittleness desirable especially in some foods.

crisp lettuce

friable applies to substances that are easily crumbled or pulverized.

friable soil

Examples of brittle in a Sentence

Adjective

a brittle cracker that turned into crumbs in my pocket

a brittle apology that was anything but heartfelt

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

And yet the profundity of the personal relationship between Putin and Xi has compensated for these otherwise brittle foundations. —Stephen Kotkin, Foreign Affairs, 18 Apr. 2024

Osteoporosis causes brittle, weak bones that fracture easily. 6. —Maggie O'Neill, Health, 13 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Noun

Middle English britil; akin to Old English brēotan to break, Old Norse brjōta

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1892, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing brittle

• brittle bone disease
• brittle bones
• brittle star

Kids Definition

brittle

1 of 2 adjective

brit·​tle ˈbrit-ᵊl 

brittler ˈbrit-lər 

-ᵊl-ər

; brittlest -ləst 

-ᵊl-əst

: easily broken, cracked, or snapped

brittle glass

brittleness

ˈbrit-ᵊl-nəs 

noun

brittle

2 of 2 noun

: a hard candy made with sugar and nuts and spread in thin sheets

peanut brittle

Medical Definition

brittle

adjective

brit·​tle ˈbrit-ᵊl 

: affected with or being a form of type 1 diabetes characterized by large and unpredictable fluctuations in blood glucose level

brittle diabetes

a brittle diabetic