crumbly.

Likely to break into small irregular pieces under slight pressure.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• crumbly earth
• crumbly rock
• crumbly surface

On the page

Crumbly earth slipped from the exposed roots.

The cliff edge was too crumbly to stand on safely.

She pressed a lump of soil and found it dry and crumbly.

Usage notes

Primary category: environment. Everyday and tactile; suggests pieces or crumbs rather than complete liquefaction. Comparative: crumblier; superlative: crumbliest. Related verb: crumble.