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[This word means something that is easily crumbled or pulverized.  However, it is also frequently used to refer to anything that is literally or figuratively fragile or brittle, as in the example given here.] “Dawson’s Fall” asks what truth means in an era when conviction matters more, and Roxana Robinson’s answer — that morality is friable — should make us sit up and tremble. (Katy Simpson Smith, “Her Great-Grandfather Fought for the South but Went On to Preach Equality,” The New York Times, 05/31/2019).

Friable may also be a synonym for fragile, brittle, breakable, and delicate.…

Steve Martin—a comedian, actor, writer, producer and Grammy Award-winning bluegrass banjo player—is one of the entertainment world’s most overachieving multihyphenates.  (Alexandra Alter, “I’ll Write, and You Draw,” The New York Times, 11/17/2020.)

This word can also be a synonym for versatile when used in the sense of multi-talented.…

[This term refers to the time required for half of the atoms of a radioactive substance to become disintegrated or the time required for the activity of a substance taken into the body to lose half its initial effectiveness.  However, it is also used informally in the sense given above, to refer to anything that is temporarily effective or useful.] Mr. Trump’s expressed love for the men he called “my generals” has given way to chillier climes. At the Pentagon, senior officials joke about having a half-life with Mr. Trump, one whose longevity is determined by whether they can steer clear of the president. (Helene Cooper, “Mission ‘Accomplished’? Trump Boasts of Being Boon for Military,” The New York Times, 2/19/2019.)

This word can be synonymous with usefulness or value when referring to the temporary period of effectiveness before something goes into decline or obsolescence.…

My car is a 2001 Saturn wagon, L-series, bought new. Saturn was “a different kind of car company” …  When you bought a Saturn, back in those palmy days, the dealer took a picture of you posing next to your new vehicle, wearing a Saturn hat, and perhaps a Saturn T-shirt. You were part of the Saturn family. (Jean Thompson, “All Things Come to an End,” The New York Times, 3/19/2016.)

This word can be synonymous with prosperous, successful, thriving or booming, when used in the sense of flourishing.…

The movie “Ray” by Taylor Hackford is at heart a shaggy dog story, long, pointless, inconsequential and filled with odd details. (Michael O’Sullivan, “’The Comedian’ Shows a Comic Who Doesn’t Know When to Stop,” The Washington Post, 2/3/2017.)

This word can be synonymous with boring, rambling, pointless, or long-winded when referring to a story or joke which is filled with irrelevant details, and ultimately dull or boring. It can also describe a joke of that variety.…