brittle
adjective/ˈbrɪtl/
/ˈbrɪtl/
- hard but easily broken
- brittle bones/nails
- The paint was brittle with age.
- She had thin, brittle, permed hair.
- a brittle mood or state of mind is one that appears to be happy or strong but is actually nervous and easily damaged
- a brittle temperament
- (of a sound) hard and sharp in an unpleasant way
- a brittle laugh
- ‘Not at all,’ she said in a brittle voice, avoiding his eye.
Word Originlate Middle English, ultimately of Germanic origin and related to Old English brēotan ‘break up’.
Check pronunciation:
brittle