brittle

adjective

ˈbri-tᵊl How to pronounce brittle (audio)
Definition of brittlenext
1
as in crisp
having a texture that readily breaks into little pieces under pressure a brittle cracker that turned into crumbs in my pocket

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in icy
lacking in friendliness or warmth of feeling a brittle apology that was anything but heartfelt

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective brittle contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of brittle are crisp, fragile, frangible, and friable. While all these words mean "breaking easily," brittle implies hardness together with lack of elasticity or flexibility or toughness.

brittle bones

When could crisp be used to replace brittle?

The synonyms crisp and brittle are sometimes interchangeable, but crisp implies a firmness and brittleness desirable especially in some foods.

crisp lettuce

In what contexts can fragile take the place of brittle?

The meanings of fragile and brittle largely overlap; however, fragile implies extreme delicacy of material or construction and need for careful handling.

a fragile antique chair

When would frangible be a good substitute for brittle?

While the synonyms frangible and brittle are close in meaning, frangible implies susceptibility to being broken without implying weakness or delicacy.

frangible stone used for paving

When might friable be a better fit than brittle?

In some situations, the words friable and brittle are roughly equivalent. However, friable applies to substances that are easily crumbled or pulverized.

friable soil

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of brittle There’s some talent in that group — centre-back Karim Coulibaly, 18, is a name to know — but the team overall have often been brittle, naive even. —Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026 The licensing of model publication is brittle in practice and, in the United States, likely an unconstitutional form of censorship. —IEEE Spectrum, 2 Feb. 2026 The wind remained strong and the ground brittle. —Arkansas Online, 2 Feb. 2026 After cleaning, apply a thin coat of petroleum jelly on the gasket to prevent the rubber from becoming brittle. —Louise Parks, Martha Stewart, 31 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for brittle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brittle
  1. crisp
  2. icy
  3. fragile
  4. cold
  5. crumbly
  6. frigid
  7. friable
  8. chilly
Adjective
  • The V-neck, polo-style collar, crisp white buttons, and rust-orange hue give it a refined yet approachable feel.
    — Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Women in crisp, white blouses and stylish glasses sip on their complimentary check-in margaritas while their husbands in loafers, jeans, and blue blazers wheel their bags into the library to catch a peek at the 3,700-volume collection.
    — Diana Oates, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of crisp
Adjective
  • The rubber insole and bottom make for stable traction on icy and slushy surfaces, too.
    — Olivia Dubyak, Travel + Leisure, 5 Feb. 2026
  • These surfaces could be icy and slippery, increasing your risk of a fall and injury.
    — NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of icy
Adjective
  • Savannah Guthrie opened the family’s plea by thanking supporters for their prayers before describing her mother as the heart of their family and making a direct appeal for contact, stressing Nancy Guthrie’s fragile health and urgent need for medication.
    — Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz , Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Biocomputing remains highly experimental, fragile, and difficult to scale.
    — Matthew S Williams, Interesting Engineering, 5 Feb. 2026
Definition of fragile
Adjective
  • Snow and cold conditions have become increasingly unreliable.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Built for extreme cold Corvus One for Cold Chain uses industrial-grade barcode scanners with precise control over focus and exposure, enabling reliable label capture even when barcodes are frosted, damaged, or low contrast.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 10 Feb. 2026
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • That super crumbly texture is thanks to a high proportion of fat in the dough, most often butter.
    — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Non-crumbly Protein Bars Speaking of protein, Whitmore, Hirst, and Grotts are also fond of protein bars.
    — Karla Walsh, Travel + Leisure, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of crumbly
Adjective
  • Rising prices for natural gas, electricity and home heating oil, combined with sustained frigid temperatures in much of the country, are burning yet another hole in many Americans’ wallets.
    — Tami Luhby, CNN Money, 12 Feb. 2026
  • The 19 monks and their dog, Aloka, walked 2,300 miles across several Southern states — sometimes in frigid conditions — drawing large crowds in churchyards, city halls and town squares.
    — Deepa Bharath, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of frigid
Adjective
  • Those unregulated hazardous substances include liquid waste, friable, asbestos wastes and combustion wastes.
    — Stuart Dyos, Nashville Tennessean, 16 Dec. 2025
  • Texture comes into play here, as well, with wispy nests of friable katayifi topping each scallop.
    — Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Definition of friable
Adjective
  • For early spring when the weather still gets chilly, use a set of thicker sheet sets to add the perfect amount of warmth, then pair it with a set of cooling sheets once hotter temperatures arrive later in the season.
    — Caley Sturgill, Southern Living, 13 Feb. 2026
  • Otherwise, Thursday looks blustery and chilly with a mostly cloudy sky.
    — Steven Sosna, CBS News, 11 Feb. 2026
Definition of chilly

Browse Nearby Words

britches
brittle
brittleness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brittle. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on brittle

Nglish: Translation of brittle for Spanish Speakers

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