Meaning & use
brittle
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Hard and stiff but likely to snap or shatter when bent or hit.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: brittle bones; the plastic was brittle.
Patterns
- brittle with age
The old paper was so brittle it cracked when she touched it.
Cold weather made the plastic brittle.
Brittle bones break more easily in a fall.
adjectivecomparablefigurative
Emotionally fragile and easily upset, or showing a hard, tense manner that hides weakness.
Grammar: Figurative: a brittle smile, a brittle mood.
She gave a brittle laugh and changed the subject.
After the long illness he felt brittle and close to tears.
Their brittle friendship ended after one argument.
adjectivecomparablefigurative
Weak or unstable and likely to fail when under pressure, as of a system or agreement.
Grammar: Applies to abstract things: a brittle peace.
The ceasefire remains brittle.
A brittle economy cannot absorb sudden shocks.
The company's brittle supply chain broke under the strain.
Word forms
| comparative | more brittle |
|---|---|
| superlative | most brittle |
Common combinations
- brittle bones
- Calcium helps prevent brittle bones in later life.
- brittle hair
- Dye and heat made her hair dry and brittle.
- brittle peace
- The brittle peace broke down within a week.
- become brittle
- Rubber becomes brittle after years in the sun.
- brittle laugh
- He gave a brittle laugh to cover his nervousness.
Synonyms and how they differ
- fragile
- Fragile means easily damaged in any way, while brittle means hard and likely to snap rather than bend.
- delicate
- Delicate suggests something fine and needing gentle care, not necessarily stiff.
- crisp
- Crisp is positive and usually describes food that snaps pleasantly.
- frail
- Frail is used mostly for weak or ill people and not for hard materials.
Opposites
Word family
- brittleness noun
- the quality of being brittle
- brittly adverb
- in a brittle manner (rare)
- britt noun
- a hard, snappable sweet, as in peanut brittle (peanut brittle)
Commonly confused: brittle or fragile?
brittle vs fragile
Fragile covers any delicate thing, while brittle is for hard, stiff things that snap.
Practice
Which item is best described as brittle?
Choose one answer.
Brittle things are hard and snap rather than bend. A rubber band and towel bend, so they are not brittle.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “brittle”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.