frangible

adjective

fran·​gi·​ble ˈfran-jə-bəl 

: readily or easily broken

frangibility

ˌfran-jə-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms

• breakable
• delicate
• fragile
• frail

Choose the Right Synonym for frangible

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

Example Sentences

frangible china teacups that were totally inappropriate for a child's birthday party

Recent Examples on the Web

If the boat does not stop, the Interceptor pulls alongside and the agent fires with disintegrating frangible ammunition into the boat’s engine. —New York Times, 28 Jan. 2021

Nagel pumped the shotgun and chambered the first frangible round. —New York Times, 28 Jan. 2021

At 1,000 metres, a frangible bolt—which was supposed to detach explosively in the event of power loss to shed weight—broke off. —The Economist, 6 Sep. 2019

Now the team, led by Professor of Computer Vision Paul Rosin, is asking for more texts too fragile to be opened, hoping to ease the burden on historical researchers hesitant to examine the frangible objects. —Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, 4 Oct. 2018

Details needed to be worked out, such as a requirement that school guns fire only frangible bullets, which break apart into small pieces and are unlikely to pass through victims, as a way to limit the danger to innocent students. —Todd C. Frankel, Washington Post, 19 May 2018

Ascendance International was exhibiting its trademark frangible bullets with a full-auto AR-15. —Elliott Woods, The New Republic, 16 Apr. 2018

This guy visited Bam two months ago to take extensive tourist pictures of Bam’s famous and highly frangible mud-brick structures. —Wired Staff, WIRED, 30 Dec. 2003

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Word History

Etymology

Middle English, borrowed from Middle French & Medieval Latin; Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin frangibilis, from Latin frangere "to break, shatter" + -ibilis -ible — more at break entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above