Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

brittleness

British  
/ ˈbrɪtəlnɪs /

noun

  1. the quality of being brittle

  2. metallurgy the tendency of a metal to break without being significantly distorted or exposed to a high level of stress Compare toughness softness

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Vocabulary lists containing brittleness

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

It does have some more engineering problems than copper, including poorer conductivity, corrosion, and brittleness.

From Barron's Jun. 30, 2026

Resolving this crisis of financial brittleness requires a shift from a national-champion model to a global-industry model.

From The Wall Street Journal May 12, 2026

But in addition to exposing Kennedy’s limits, Trump’s pro-Roundup order—and MAHA’s reaction to it—revealed a brittleness to the movement as a whole.

From Slate Feb. 21, 2026

It manifests now in a brittleness that tints their everyday exchanges as ossifying empty nesters.

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 20, 2026

He was living to be one hundred years old and played a smoothly fluent game of billiards that contrasted with his own ninety-four-year-old brittleness.

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training