Brittle vs Delicate - What's the difference?
brittle | delicate |
Inflexible, liable to break or snap easily under stress or pressure.
* 1977 , , Penguin Classics, p. 329:
Not physically tough or tenacious; apt to break or crumble when bending.
* Shortbread'' is my favorite cold pastry, yet being so brittle it crumbles easily, and a lot goes to waste.
(archaeology) Said of rocks and minerals with a conchoidal fracture; capable of being knapped or flaked.
Emotionally fragile, easily offended.
(informal, proscribed)
(uncountable) A confection of caramelized sugar and nuts.
(uncountable) Anything resembling this confection, such as flapjack, a cereal bar, etc.
*
Easily damaged or requiring careful handling.
* F. W. Robertson
* {{quote-news
, year=2012
, date=April 23
, author=Angelique Chrisafis
, title=François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election
, work=the Guardian
Characterized by a fine structure or thin lines.
Intended for use with fragile items.
Refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; said of manners, conduct, or feelings.
Of weak health; easily sick; unable to endure hardship.
* Shakespeare
(informal) Unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol.
(obsolete) Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring.
* 1360–1387 , (William Langland), (Piers Plowman) (C-text),
* circa'' 1660 , (John Evelyn) (author), , volume I of II (1901), entry for the 19th of August in 1641,
Pleasing to the senses; refined; adapted to please an elegant or cultivated taste.
Slight and shapely; lovely; graceful.
* circa'' 1603 , (William Shakespeare), ''(Othello) , act II,
Light, or softly tinted; said of a colour.
Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.
Highly discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite.
Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes.
A delicate item of clothing, especially underwear or lingerie.
(obsolete) A choice dainty; a delicacy.
(obsolete) A delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person.
As adjectives the difference between brittle and delicate
is that brittle is inflexible, liable to break or snap easily under stress or pressure while delicate is easily damaged or requiring careful handling.As nouns the difference between brittle and delicate
is that brittle is a confection of caramelized sugar and nuts while delicate is a delicate item of clothing, especially underwear or lingerie.brittle
English
(wikipedia brittle)Adjective
(en-adj)- Cast iron is much more brittle than forged iron.
- A diamond is hard but brittle .
- 'Do you suppose our convent, and I too, / Are insufficient, then, to pray for you? / Thomas, that joke's not good. Your faith is brittle .
- What a brittle personality! A little misunderstanding and he's an emotional wreck.
Diabetes Mellitus (DM), Merck manual Diabetes that is characterized by dramatic swings in blood sugar level.
Noun
- As a child, my favorite candy was peanut brittle .
Synonyms
* brickleSee also
* break, breakable * short (adjective)References
Anagrams
*delicate
English
Adjective
(en adjective)- Those clothes are made from delicate lace.
- The negotiations were very delicate .
- There are some things too delicate and too sacred to be handled rudely without injury to truth.
citation, page= , passage=The final vote between Hollande and Sarkozy now depends on a delicate balance of how France's total of rightwing and leftwing voters line up.}}
- Her face was delicate .
- The spider wove a delicate web.
- There was a delicate pattern of frost on the window.
- Set the washing machine to the delicate cycle.
- delicate''' behaviour; '''delicate''' attentions; '''delicate thoughtfulness
- a delicate''' child; '''delicate health
- a delicate and tender prince
- Please don't speak so loudly: I'm feeling a bit delicate this morning.
passus IX, line 285:
- Þenk þat diues for hus delicat lyf to þe deuel wente.
page 29:
- Haerlem is a very delicate town and hath one of the fairest churches of the Gothic design I had ever seen.
- a delicate''' dish; '''delicate flavour
scene iii, lines 18 and 20–21:
- : She’s a most exquisite lady.…Indeed, she’s a most fresh and delicate creature.
- a delicate shade of blue
- a delicate''' taste; a '''delicate ear for music
- a delicate thermometer
Synonyms
* (easily damaged) fragileNoun
(en noun)- Don't put that in with your jeans: it's a delicate !
- With abstinence all delicates he sees. — Dryden.
- All the vessels, then, which our delicates have, — those I mean that would seem to be more fine in their houses than their neighbours, — are only of the Corinth metal. — Holland.