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Brittle

/ˈbrɪtəl/

adjectiveB2

Definition

Brittle means something is hard and stiff but can break or snap easily without bending. It often describes materials like glass, dry leaves, or old plastic that are not flexible and break quickly when force is applied.

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⚡ See It in Action

Hard but easily broken or cracked

  • •The old plastic became brittle after years in the sun.
  • •Be careful with that brittle glass; it can break if dropped.
  • •The leaves were dry and brittle in the autumn wind.

Emotionally fragile or easily upset (used figuratively)

  • •After the bad news, she felt brittle and upset.
  • •His brittle mood made it hard to talk to him that day.

🧲 Make It Stick

  • ✓Think of "brittle" like "hard," but with a problem—it breaks easily, unlike "hard" things that can be strong and last longer.
  • ✓Picture a dry, thin twig that snaps with little pressure, not bending but breaking suddenly.
  • ✓It's the feeling when you try to bend a cookie that cracks and breaks instead of bending.
  • ✓Sounds like "BRIT-tle" → imagine a brittle twig breaking with a quick "BRIT" sound.
  • ✓Remember glass breaking when dropped—hard but fragile (easy to break).
  • ✓NOT like "soft" (which bends easily), brittle things do NOT bend; they break.
  • ✓NOT like "strong" (which resists breaking), brittle things are weak in breaking even if hard.
  • ✓NOT like "flexible" (which bends), brittle things cannot bend without breaking.

🔄 Try Other Words

  • •Fragile: easily broken or damaged (Use when emphasizing delicate or weak condition)
  • •Breakable: able to be broken (Use for general situations where something can break, less formal)
  • •Delicate: easily damaged or requiring careful handling (Use when something needs gentle care, not always hard)
  • •Crisp: dry and easily broken (Use for food or leaves, emphasizes dryness and breaking)

🔍 Unboxing

  • •Word parts: No clear prefix or suffix; root word "brittle"
  • •Etymology: From Old English "brytel," meaning easily broken or fragile
  • •Historical development: Used since early English to describe materials that break easily
  • •Modern usage: Commonly used in science, everyday life, and figurative speech to describe things or feelings that break or fail easily

💭 Reflect & Connect

•Can something be both hard and strong but NOT brittle? How do you tell the difference?
•How might calling a person "brittle" help us understand their feelings or behavior?

Fill in the blanks with the correct word:

1.The old plastic became brittle because it was exposed to ___ weather for many years.
2.When something is brittle, it breaks ___ it bends or changes shape.
3.Unlike flexible materials, brittle objects cannot ___ without breaking.
4.She felt brittle after the sad news, meaning she was emotionally ___ and upset.
5.Glass is brittle, so you should handle it with ___ to avoid breaking it.
6.The dry leaves were brittle and would ___ easily when stepped on.
7.Brittle materials often ___ cracks before they break completely.