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   brittle

   /ˈbrɪtl/

   adjective

   • 1. hard but liable to break easily: "her bones became fragile and brittle" Similar breakablesplinteryshatterablefragilefraildelicatefrangiblerigidhardcrispOpposite flexibleresilient
   • ▪ (of a person's voice) unpleasantly hard and sharp and showing signs of instability or nervousness: "a brittle laugh" Similar harshhardsharpstridentgratingraspingOpposite soft
   • ▪ appearing decisive or cheerful but unstable or nervous within: "her manner was artificially bright and brittle" Similar edgyon edgenervousunstablehighly strunganxioustenseexcitablejumpyskittishneurotichystericalsensitiveinsecurenervyinformal:uptightOpposite relaxedcool

   noun

   • 1. a brittle sweet made from nuts and set melted sugar: "peanut brittle"

   Word Origin late Middle English, ultimately of Germanic origin and related to Old English brēotan ‘break up’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. brittlely adverb
   • 2. brittleness noun

   Scrabble Points: 9

   • B

     3

   • R

     1

   • I

     1

   • T

     1

   • T

     1

   • L

     1

   • E

     1

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