brittle
10
7.4
- adjective
- /ˈbrɪtəl/
:
seco
- Her conversations often felt brittle, lacking the warmth of genuine connection.
Examples
-
There was a brittle, fragile quality about her that was both appealing and clinically convincing.
Fiction book (1993) -
And she leans forward and she says, the kids I see at Stanford today are brittle, exhausted, and they don't want to mar their perfect records.
-
But I could also feel how brittle her mood was.
Fiction book (1992) -
"There was a laugh now, short and brittle as glass."
Fiction book (1999) -
His voice was suddenly thin and brittle, like the shell of something hollow.
Fiction book (1998) -
"I'm trying to listen to my music, Mom," Silas says in a brittle voice.
Fiction book (1999) -
We are messy, unshowered, brittle, distracted, angry, sad, tired.
-
Her outgoing nature had hardened into brittle good cheer because she felt she had to be friendly.
Academic text (2000) -
Her haughty laugh, lacking in grace, is as brittle as the crystals she has taken to wear as earrings.
Fiction book (1990) -
He'd finally relented and bowed his head, his body brittle with embarrassment.
Academic text (2016)
Synonyms
883
4.4
Unfriendly and distant in feeling or action
403
3.8
Emotionally strong and not easily moved by feelings
22
3.3
Cold and unfriendly in tone or manner
7
6.5
Showing no feeling or sympathy
4
7.2
Not showing any feeling or kindness to others
4
6.0
Showing no care or sympathy for other people
3
6.5
A person who is tough and does not show feelings or pity
1
7.2
Not feeling or showing pity for other people
1
7.6
Not showing strong feeling when judging something
Not feeling sorry for other people
Does not feel or show care for other people
Made emotionally tougher after repeated difficult experiences
Being emotionally hard and not showing feelings because of bad experiences
Not easily upset by what others say or feel
Antonyms
Compounds
- US
A scented desert shrub with brittle stems, yellow flowers, and a sticky resin used in incense
A tropical American fern that people often grow for its broad divided leaves
A tropical fern with thin, easily broken leaves often grown indoors for its pretty look
A sea animal like a starfish with a small round body and long thin arms that break easily
How Warm
Surface Forms
Etymology
Brittle used for a person's manner comes from the same image of being easy to 'break' or snap, like the word break. So a brittle tone or smile feels cold and sharp because the person seems likely to snap or be easily hurt.