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brittle

Pronunciation: /ˈbrɪt(ə)l/
Translate brittle | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of brittle

adjective

  • hard but liable to break easily:her bones became fragile and brittle
  • (of a person’s voice) unpleasantly hard and sharp and showing signs of instability or nervousness:a brittle laugh
  • appearing decisive or cheerful but unstable or nervous within: her manner was artificially bright and brittle

noun

[mass noun]
  • a brittle sweet made from nuts and set melted sugar:peanut brittle

Derivatives

brittlely

(or brittly) adverb

brittleness

noun

Origin:

late Middle English, ultimately of Germanic origin and related to Old English brēotan 'break up'

brittle in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of brittle in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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