brittle

/ˈbri-tᵊl/

Middle English britil; akin to Old English brēotan to break, Old Norse brjōta

adjective

  1. easily broken, cracked, or snapped

  2. easily disrupted, overthrown, or damaged : frail

  3. perishable, mortal

brittle clay

a brittle friendship

fragile frangible brittle crisp friable mean breaking easily. fragile implies extreme delicacy of material or construction and need for careful handling. frangible implies susceptibility to being broken without implying weakness or delicacy.

noun

  1. a candy made with caramelized sugar and nuts spread in thin sheets

peanut brittle

noun

  1. osteogenesis imperfecta