frangible
Prone to breaking
Frangible means easily broken or brittle.
The word appears most often in technical contexts: frangible bullets are designed to shatter on impact, reducing ricochet risk; frangible seals break cleanly when containers are opened.
The frangible nature of the ancient pottery required careful handling.
The word is formal and relatively rare outside specialized fields.
Able to fragment
- smashableCapable of being shattered
- crushableAble to be squashed
- crackableAble to be broken
- snappableProne to breaking sharply
brittle · delicate · friable · crumbly · crisp · splintery · divisible · severable
Transparent solid from sand
- ceramicFired clay material
- porcelainTranslucent fired clay
- crystalOrdered-atom solid
- eggshellBrittle ovum casing
bone · chalk · plaster · terracotta · pottery · china · earthenware · stoneware
Easily broken or harmed
- susceptibleEasily influenced or harmed
- weakLacking power or force
- perishableProne to decay
- precariousDangerously insecure
sensitive · unstable · exposed · unprotected · at-risk · damageable
Fragment violently, suddenly
- crushCompress with force
- smashBreak violently apart
- pulverizeCrush to powder
- disintegrateBreak into fragments
splinter · crack · crumble · break · demolish · destroy · rupture · burst
Lasting very briefly
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- impermanentNot meant to last
- short-livedLasting only briefly
evanescent · perishable · disposable · expendable · consumable · single-use · nonpermanent · biodegradable
shatterable
Able to fragment
snappable · brittle · delicate · friable · crumbly · crisp · splintery · divisible · severable · cleavable
glass
Transparent solid from sand
eggshell · bone · chalk · plaster · terracotta · pottery · china · earthenware · stoneware · ice
delicate
Easily broken or harmed
- susceptibleEasily influenced or harmed
- weakLacking power or force
- perishableProne to decay
precarious · sensitive · unstable · exposed · unprotected · at-risk · damageable
shatter
Fragment violently, suddenly
disintegrate · splinter · crack · crumble · break · demolish · destroy · rupture · burst · snap
ephemeral
Lasting very briefly
- transientTemporary, soon departing
- fleetingPassing very quickly
- impermanentNot meant to last
short-lived · evanescent · perishable · disposable · expendable · consumable · single-use · nonpermanent · biodegradable · deteriorating
- ammunitionammunition, ammo, bullet, bullets, shells
- potterypot, pottery, clay pottery, throwing, ceramic vase
frangibleunbreakable
Impossible to damage
infrangible · nonbreakable · indestructible · shatterproof · sturdy
fragile, fragment, fracture, fraction, breakable, infraction, fragmentary, fragmentation, refract