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¹brittle

adjective brit·tle \ˈbri-t^əl\

: easily broken or cracked

: not strong : easily damaged

: sharp in sound

brit·tler \ˈbrit-lər, ˈbri-t^əl-ər\ brit·tlest \-ləst, -t^əl-əst\

Full Definition of BRITTLE

a : easily broken, cracked, or snapped <brittle clay> <brittle glass>

b : easily disrupted, overthrown, or damaged : frail <a brittle friendship>

a : perishable, mortal

b : transitory, evanescent

: easily hurt or offended : sensitive <a brittle personality>

: sharp <the brittle staccato of snare drums>

: lacking warmth, depth, or generosity of spirit : cold <a brittle selfish person>

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

— brit·tle·ly \ˈbri-t^əl-(l)ē\ adverb

— brit·tle·ness \ˈbri-t^əl-nəs\ noun

See brittle defined for English-language learners

See brittle defined for kids

Origin of BRITTLE

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

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to BRITTLE

Synonyms: brickle [dialect], crisp, crispy, crumbly, embrittled, flaky (also flakey), friable, short

Antonyms: cordial, friendly, genial, happy, hearty, sympathetic, warm, warm-blooded, warmhearted

Synonym Discussion of 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>.

Rhymes with BRITTLE

kittle, little, skittle, spital, spittle, tittle, victual, whittle, wittol

²brittle

noun

Definition of BRITTLE

: a candy made with caramelized sugar and nuts spread in thin sheets <peanut brittle>

First Known Use of BRITTLE

1913

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

Rhymes with BRITTLE

kittle, little, victual, whittle

BRITTLE[1] Defined for Kids

brittle

adjective brit·tle \ˈbri-t^əl\

brit·tlerbrit·tlest

Definition of BRITTLE for Kids

: hard but easily broken <brittle glass>

— brit·tle·ness noun

Synonym Discussion of BRITTLE

brittle, crisp, and fragile mean easily broken. brittle is used of something that is hard and dry. <Brittle twigs snapped under our feet.> crisp is used of something hard and dry but also fresh. <These crackers are no longer crisp.> fragile is used of anything so delicate that it may be broken easily. <He held a piece of fragile china.>

Medical Dictionary

brittle

adjective brit·tle \ˈbrit-^əl\

Medical Definition of BRITTLE

: 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>