brittle
Hard but breakable
Brittle describes something hard but easily broken—it snaps or shatters rather than bending: brittle bones, brittle fingernails, The pages had grown brittle with age.
Figuratively, brittle applies to things that seem stable but lack resilience: a brittle economy, a brittle alliance.
A brittle laugh or brittle smile sounds forced, masking tension or fragility underneath.
Peanut brittle is a hard candy that breaks into shards.
Fragment violently, suddenly
- fractureSplit in hard material
- splinterThin sharp fragment
- crackNarrow break or attempt
- snapSudden sharp sound
crumble · fragment · disintegrate · frangible · friable · fragile · delicate · shard
Strained or nervous
- strainedUnder uncomfortable tension
- edgyTense and irritable
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
- volatileLiable to sudden change
nervous · irritable · snappish · short-tempered · testy · touchy · anxious · overwrought
Made worse by injury
- dryFree from moisture
- breakageAct of shattering
- split endsDamaged strand endings
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
coarse · lifeless · unhealthy · parched · overprocessed · weak · snapping · thin
Disease weakening skeletal structure
- fractureSplit in hard material
- calciumElement twenty, builds bones
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
- porousAllowing passage of fluids
weak · aging · skeletal · bone density · breaks · deterioration
Empty within
- forcedMade to occur unwillingly
- nervousUneasy and apprehensive
- strainedUnder uncomfortable tension
- mirthlessLacking genuine amusement
artificial · tight · uneasy · false · shrill · high-pitched · uncomfortable · awkward
Caramelized sugar confection
- pralineNut and sugar candy
- caramelizedBrowned through sugar heating
- crunchyBreaking with sound
- sugaryContaining much sweetener
confection · honeycomb · buttercrunch · hard candy · crystallized
shatter
Fragment violently, suddenly
snap · crumble · fragment · disintegrate · frangible · friable · fragile · delicate · shard · breakage
tense
Strained or nervous
volatile · nervous · irritable · snappish · short-tempered · testy · touchy · anxious · overwrought · on edge
damaged
Made worse by injury
- dryFree from moisture
- breakageAct of shattering
- split endsDamaged strand endings
fragile · coarse · lifeless · unhealthy · parched · overprocessed · weak · snapping · thin · dull
osteoporosis
Disease weakening skeletal structure
porous · weak · aging · skeletal · bone density · breaks · deterioration
hollow
Empty within
mirthless · artificial · tight · uneasy · false · shrill · high-pitched · uncomfortable · awkward · tense
toffee
Caramelized sugar confection
- pralineNut and sugar candy
- caramelizedBrowned through sugar heating
- crunchyBreaking with sound
sugary · confection · honeycomb · buttercrunch · hard candy · crystallized
crackers
Crispy flat biscuits
- biscottiCrunchy Italian almond cookies
- toastHeated bread; glass-raising honor
- wafersThin, crisp baked rounds
croutons · grissini · melba · crostini · phyllo · papadum · lavash · matzo · crispbread · zwieback
- hard candiesjawbreaker, gobstopper, lemon drops, fruit drops, barley sugar
- weakweak, feeble, frail, fragile, faint
- damageddamaged, wrecked, ruined, destroyed, battered
- sweet treatscookie, cupcake, donut, doughnut, fudge
- sweetscandy, candies, chocolates, chocolate, fudge
- hairhair, haircut, hairstyle, hair loss, coily
- peanut brittleHard candy with legumes
- nut brittleHardened sugar with seeds
- brittle bonesWeak, breakable skeletal tissue
- brittle nailsEasily broken finger coverings
- brittle hairEasily broken head strands
- almond brittleHard candy with nuts