The brittle glass shattered into tiny pieces when it hit the floor.
synonyms
fragilebreakabledelicate
word origin — Middle English 'britil', from Old English 'bryttel', a variant of 'brytan' meaning to break.
SAT Vocabulary Level 2 — Set 151
Set 151 of SAT Vocabulary Level 2 covers 5 words: brittle, lax, onerous, terrestrial, immutable. Each entry below includes its definition, an example sentence, and synonyms — practice them with the interactive cards above.
brittle · adjective/ˈbrɪt̬.əl/
easily broken or shattered
The brittle glass shattered into tiny pieces when it hit the floor.
Synonyms: fragile, breakable, delicate
Origin: Middle English 'britil', from Old English 'bryttel', a variant of 'brytan' meaning to break.
lax · adjective/læks/
not strict or severe; lenient
The school has been criticized for its lax enforcement of rules regarding attendance.
Synonyms: lenient, relaxed, permissive
Origin: from Latin 'laxus' meaning 'loose, wide, or slack'
onerous · adjective/ˈoʊ.nər.əs/
burdensome or oppressive in a way that involves a lot of effort or difficulty
The onerous task of organizing the charity event left her feeling exhausted after weeks of planning.
Synonyms: burdensome, oppressive, taxing
Origin: from Latin 'onerous', meaning 'burdensome', derived from 'onus', meaning 'burden'
terrestrial · adjective/tɛˈrɛs.tɚ.əl/
relating to the earth or land
The scientists studied the effects of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems to understand how land-based species are adapting.
Synonyms: earthly, land-based, global
Origin: from Latin 'terrestris', from 'terra' meaning 'earth'
immutable · adjective/ɪˈmjuː.t̬ə.bəl/
unable to be changed or altered
The laws of physics are considered immutable, governing the universe in ways that cannot be altered.
Synonyms: unchangeable, unalterable, fixed
Origin: from Latin 'immutabilis', meaning 'not able to change', from 'in-' (not) + 'mutabilis' (changeable)