Brittle Definition
brĭtl
brittlest, brittler
adjective
brittlest, brittler
Likely to break, snap, or crack, as when subjected to pressure.
Brittle bones.
American Heritage
Easily broken or shattered because hard and inflexible.
Webster's New World
Difficult to deal with; snappish.
A brittle disposition.
American Heritage
Stiff and unbending in manner; lacking warmth.
Webster's New World
Having a sharp, hard quality.
Brittle tones.
Webster's New World
Synonyms:
noun
A brittle, crunchy candy made of sugar, butter, vanilla, etc. and nuts.
Peanut brittle.
Webster's New World
Other Word Forms of Brittle
Noun
Singular:
brittle
Plural:
brittlesAdjective
Base Form:
brittle
Comparative:
brittler
Superlative:
brittlestOrigin of Brittle
-
From Middle English britel, brutel, brotel (“brittle”), from Old English *brytel, *bryttol (“brittle, fragile”, literally “prone to or tending to break”), equivalent to brit + -le. More at brit.
From Wiktionary
Middle English britel probably from Old English brytel from bryttian to shatter
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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