Brittlely

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈbɹɪt.l̩.(l)i/

Definitions

1. In a way that shows or behaves with fragility and is likely to break or snap quickly
2. With a tendency to crack or snap easily when stressed, exhibiting a delicate or weak quality
3. Displaying a fragile nature that is prone to breakage or damage under pressure or strain

Etymology: "Brittlely" is a plain formation: the adjective "brittle" with the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" added to the end, giving the sense "in a brittle manner," that is, in a way that breaks easily rather than bending or giving way. "Brittle" itself is an older English adjective, and the suffix "-ly" is the same ending that turns "quick" into "quickly" or "sad" into "sadly." The adverb is best understood as an adverb of manner. A surface might be described as coated brittlely, or a material might fail brittlely under stress, meaning it snaps without much prior bending. Because the base word is so common in engineering and materials science, the adverb tends to appear in technical writing, where it describes how a substance or structure breaks.