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 But the true shocker from this entire process is how my hair survived relatively unscathed (...save for a few brittle ends). Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 11 Mar. 2025 Season 3 finds the brittle sanity of Navajo Tribal policeman Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon, still deserving of an Emmy) eroding in the aftermath of the death of B.J. Vines (John Diehl) — a fateful figure with ties to his family. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2025 Carol is brittle and reserved, but Blanchett is its resilient heart. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Mar. 2025 The ivy on the wall behind the pool was brittle and charred, rubble littered the deck, and the water shone like a black mirror. Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for brittle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for brittle
Adjective
  • For the best night’s sleep of your life, spend some time breathing in the crisp mountain air (maybe hike to one of the nearby alpine lakes) and book a stay at PostHotel Leavenworth.
    Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Also, the leaves should be crisp and green rather than brown or yellow.
    Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Her makeup, too, was equally icy, with a metallic silvery-white shadow brushed under her brow as a highlight and dramatic black eyeliner winged all the way out to the outer corner of her brows, plus a pair of light blue-gray contacts enhanced by majorly fluttery, lush lashes.
    Kara Nesvig, Allure, 9 Dec. 2024
  • White cautioned those traveling north of Indianapolis this weekend, however, should be mindful of potentially snowier, icier road conditions.
    Christopher Cann, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Nov. 2024
Adjective
  • Using a fork, cut in butter until flour mixture is crumbly.
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2025
  • The soup came with a side of crunchy tortilla chips fried in beef tallow, diced onions, chillies and crumbly cheese.
    Kim Bojórquez, Axios, 21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
  • But the weather is expected to be cold and rainy in Chicago.
    Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2025
  • The nights are cold still, though bundling up is certainly an option.
    Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Efficiency at what cost? Read: The rise of techno-authoritarianism Careless People illustrates how this ideological vacuum is filled by its leaders’ fleeting whims and governed by their fragile egos.
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2025
  • What unfolds is a two-person dialogue on the subject of fragile masculinity.
    Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • When three deer fell through thin ice at a Wisconsin lake, police used a drone to guide them out of the frigid water and onto the shore.
    Rhiannon Saegert, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Search and recovery diving instructor Juan Heredia, founder of the nonprofit Angels Recovery Dive Team, found Dane after a two-hour dive in the frigid waters of the Siletz River in Lincoln County, Ore., about three miles downstream from the boy’s home, per CNN.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 15 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • The group’s music and imagery spoke to him, but so did the tale of Morrison’s short, tumultuous life and, especially, his death, which has always been shrouded in some mystery.
    Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2025
  • The Publix above is a short drive to to Miami area office, 14621 Oak Ln.
    David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Spring 2025 in New York City is off to a wet, gray and chilly start.
    Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Related Articles Hathaway capitalized on the chilly, wintery weather and snow with a look best described as gravitating toward the après-ski trend.
    Julia Teti, WWD, 17 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Brittle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/brittle. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.

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