1. hard but easily broken or cracked
硬但易碎或易裂的
The old plastic had become brittle and snapped in my hand.
舊塑膠已經變得脆弱，在我手中斷裂了。
Be careful with that glass ornament—it's very brittle.
小心那個玻璃裝飾品——它非常易碎。
Brittle Meaning（定義、用法、例句與發音）
brittle
adjective
快速理解
What does "Brittle" mean?What are 2-3 core uses of "Brittle"?
形容物品易碎、易斷，或形容事物、關係脆弱不穩定。
- 1
物理性質
EN: Hard but easily broken or cracked.
翻譯: 指材質堅硬但缺乏韌性，受到壓力時容易碎裂或斷裂。
- 2
食物質地
EN: Having a crisp, firm texture that breaks easily.
翻譯: 形容食物（如餅乾、糖果）口感酥脆，一咬就碎。
- 3
抽象概念
EN: Lacking warmth, depth, or resilience; fragile.
翻譯: 形容情緒、關係、和平等抽象事物脆弱、不穩定或缺乏彈性。
- 4
聲音或態度
EN: Unpleasantly hard and sharp in manner or sound.
翻譯: 形容聲音尖銳刺耳，或態度、舉止生硬、不自然。
小提醒：「brittle」不只形容實體物品易碎，也常用於描述抽象事物的脆弱狀態，例如「brittle peace」（脆弱的和平）或「brittle confidence」（不堪一擊的信心）。
發音（How to Pronounce "Brittle" in English）
How to pronounce "Brittle" in English?"Brittle" US vs UK pronunciation
點擊下方的 US / UK 按鈕可播放發音。
Real-life Examples of "Brittle" from YouTube Videos
Edith Widder: The weird and wonderful world of bioluminescence
TED
“There are starfish that can make light And there are brittle stars that produce bands of light that dance along their arms.”
(1 out of 4)
Definitions（定義）
What are the definitions of "Brittle"?How does "Brittle" change by context?
2. appearing firm or confident but actually nervous and easily upset
表面堅定或自信，但實際緊張且易受影響
She maintained a brittle smile throughout the difficult meeting.
在整個艱難的會議中，她保持著一種勉強的微笑。
His confidence seemed brittle, ready to shatter under pressure.
他的自信似乎很脆弱，在壓力下隨時可能崩潰。
3. (of a sound) unpleasantly hard and sharp
（聲音）刺耳、尖銳難聽的
A brittle laugh escaped her lips.
一聲刺耳的笑聲從她唇邊逸出。
The recording had a brittle, tinny quality.
這錄音有一種刺耳、單薄的質感。
4. (of food) hard and easily broken into pieces, often pleasantly so
（食物）硬脆的，易碎成片的（常為令人愉悅的口感）
She baked the cookies until they were perfectly crisp and brittle.
她把餅乾烤到恰到好處的酥脆。
The peanut brittle shattered when I bit into it.
花生糖在我咬下去時碎裂開來。
Grammar & Patterns（句型）
What are common sentence patterns for "Brittle"?How to make natural sentences with "Brittle"?
| Pattern | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| be + brittle | 是易碎的；是脆弱的 | The old glass was extremely brittle. (那塊舊玻璃極易破碎。) |
| brittle + noun | 易碎的...；脆弱的... | She has brittle bones. (她有骨質疏鬆的問題。) |
| grow/become + brittle | 變得易碎；變得脆弱 | Over time, the plastic becomes brittle and cracks. (隨著時間推移，塑膠會變得易碎並產生裂紋。) |
| a brittle + noun | 一種易碎的...；一種脆弱的... | He maintained a brittle calm during the crisis. (在危機期間，他保持著一種一觸即潰的平靜。) |
| brittle with + noun | 因...而脆弱/易怒 | Her voice was brittle with anger. (她的聲音因憤怒而尖銳緊繃。) |
用法說明
How is "Brittle" different from similar structures?What usage mistakes are common with "Brittle"?
brittle 與 fragile 的區別
- brittle 通常指材質硬但易碎，強調因缺乏韌性而容易斷裂成碎片，如玻璃、餅乾或乾燥的樹枝。
- fragile 的含義更廣，泛指易損壞的、脆弱的，可用於實體物品（如瓷器、雞蛋）或抽象事物（如經濟、感情、健康狀態）。
- 形容人時，brittle 常指（因壓力、疲勞）緊繃、易怒的情緒狀態；fragile 則更側重體質虛弱或情感上易受傷害。
- 在科學或工程領域，brittle 是描述材料力學性能（脆性）的專用術語。 EN: The old plastic had become brittle and snapped easily. 翻譯: 這舊塑膠已經變脆，很容易折斷。
EN:Be careful with that box; the contents are fragile.
翻譯:小心那個箱子，裡面的東西很易碎。
EN:She gave a brittle laugh, hiding her nervousness.
翻譯:她發出一聲緊繃的笑聲，掩飾著緊張。
EN:After the illness, he was in a fragile state of health.
翻譯:生病之後，他的健康狀況很脆弱。
總結建議
描述硬質材料因缺乏韌性而易碎時用 brittle，泛指任何易損壞的人、物或狀態時則用 fragile。
易混淆對比
What is the difference between "Brittle" and similar words?How to choose "Brittle" vs alternatives?
brittle vs fragile
「brittle」強調材質硬但易碎，斷裂時呈碎片狀；「fragile」泛指易損壞，適用範圍更廣。
brittle vs crisp
「brittle」形容硬而易碎；「crisp」強調酥脆、爽脆的口感或質地。
brittle vs delicate
「brittle」強調硬質易碎；「delicate」強調精緻、纖細、需小心處理。
口語用法
How is "Brittle" used in spoken English?What is the spoken vs formal difference for "Brittle"?
引述
用於引述他人對某事物或情況的形容，表示其「脆弱、易碎、不穩定」的特性。 EN: He described their relationship as brittle after the argument. 翻譯: 他形容爭吵後他們的關係變得脆弱易碎。
EN:She said the old book's pages were so brittle they might crumble.
翻譯:她說那本舊書的紙頁已經很脆，一碰可能就碎了。
語氣強調
在口語中，用來強調某物不僅是硬的，更是「一碰就碎、缺乏韌性」的負面狀態。 EN: Be careful with that plastic—it's gone all brittle in the sun. 翻譯: 小心那個塑膠製品——它在太陽下曬得整個都脆化了。
EN:I can't stand his brittle personality; he gets offended so easily.
翻譯:我受不了他那種脆弱的個性；他太容易覺得被冒犯了。
停頓填充
在思考或描述時，作為一個生動的形容詞來填補停頓，具體化「不牢固、易受損」的意象。 EN: The agreement was... brittle, to say the least, and didn't last long. 翻譯: 這份協議嘛……說得客氣點是很脆弱，沒維持多久。
EN:Her confidence seemed a bit... brittle during the presentation.
翻譯:她在簡報時的信心顯得有點……不堪一擊。
正式寫作注意：在學術或正式商業寫作中，應避免將「brittle」用於比喻情緒或抽象概念（如關係、信心），除非在特定技術或科學上下文（如材料科學、心理學）中。在正式文體中，使用更精確的術語，如「fragile」、「vulnerable」或「easily fractured」。
常見短語
What common collocations use "Brittle"?What fixed phrases with "Brittle" should I remember?
brittle bones
adjective + noun
脆弱的骨骼
brittle hair
adjective + noun
脆弱易斷的頭髮
brittle nails
adjective + noun
脆弱易碎的指甲
brittle confidence
adjective + noun
脆弱的自信
brittle material
adjective + noun
脆性材料
brittle temper
adjective + noun
暴躁易怒的脾氣
grow brittle
verb + adjective
變得脆弱
brittle and dry
adjective + conjunction + adjective
又脆又乾
常見錯誤
What are common mistakes with "Brittle"?Which "Brittle" sentences look correct but are wrong?
×The glass is very brittle, so it can bend easily.
✓The glass is very brittle, so it breaks easily.
「brittle」指的是材質「易碎、脆弱的」，而不是「易彎曲的」。易彎曲的材質（如橡膠）是「flexible」或「pliable」。
×She has a brittle personality and is very emotional.
✓She has a brittle personality and seems fragile or easily upset.
用「brittle」形容人時，是指其性格「脆弱、易怒、不穩定」，給人一種緊繃、容易崩潰的印象，而不是泛指「情緒化」。情緒化更常用「emotional」或「moody」。
×The economic situation is brittle.
✓The economic situation is fragile.
雖然「brittle」和「fragile」在中文都可譯為「脆弱的」，但「brittle」通常用於形容具體、物理上易碎的東西（如玻璃、餅乾），或用於比喻人的性格、聲音或關係。形容抽象系統（如經濟、和平）不穩定時，更常用「fragile」、「precarious」或「unstable」。
×This metal is too brittle to be used for tools.
✓This metal is too brittle to be used for making tools.
「be used for」後面接名詞或動名詞（V-ing）表示用途。原句語法上可接受，但語意上「for tools」不夠精確，加入「making」更能清楚表達「用於製造工具」這個目的。
×The dry leaves are brittle and soft.
✓The dry leaves are brittle and crumble easily.
「brittle」本身已包含「乾、硬、易碎」的質感，與「soft（柔軟）」在質地上是矛盾的。更自然的搭配是描述其易碎的行為或結果，例如「crumble easily（易碎成屑）」、「snap（斷裂）」或「make a crunching sound（發出碎裂聲）」。
詞形變化
What are the word forms of "Brittle"?What are tense/participle forms of "Brittle"?