Breakable

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈbɹeɪkəbəl/

Definitions

1. Able to be broken or damaged easily under stress or impact
2. Susceptible to fracture or destruction when subjected to force
3. Prone to breaking when pressure or strain is applied

Etymology: "Breakable" is about as transparent as English words get: the verb "break" with the suffix "-able" attached. The suffix comes through a long chain, from Latin "-bilis" and "-ābilis" (meaning "able to be" or "capable of being"), which passed into Old French as "-able" and then into Middle English. English speakers then began attaching it freely to native verbs like "break," a habit that turned a Latin-derived ending into a productive tool for coining new adjectives. The verb underneath has an older pedigree. "Break" descends from Old English "brecan," which in turn comes from a Proto-Germanic root that also gave rise to the sense of tearing or bursting apart. In Middle English it appeared as "breken," so the verb has been a native English fixture for well over a thousand years, while the suffix arrived by way of French.

Synonyms: fragile, delicate, shatterable, vulnerable, unstable

Antonyms: durable, sturdy, strong, indestructible, tough