1
: somewhat salty
brackish water
2
a
: not appealing to the taste
brackish tea
b
: repulsive
a brackish personality
brackishness
noun
Did you know?
When the word brackish first appeared in English in the 1500s, it simply meant “salty,” as did its Dutch parent brac. Then, as now, brackish was used to describe water that was a mixture of saltwater and freshwater, such as one encounters where a river meets the sea. Since that time, however, brackish has developed the additional meanings of “unpalatable” and “repulsive,” presumably because of the oozy, mucky, and sometimes stinky (or stinkyish, if you prefer)—not just salty—qualities of coastal estuaries and swamps.
Synonyms of brackish
Examples of brackish in a Sentence
the office coffee is often some brackish brew that's been sitting around for a couple of hours
the river becomes brackish as we approach the tidemark
Recent Examples on the Web
Vibrio bacteria are naturally occurring in salt and brackish water.
—
Eva Flowe
june 11, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
For shellfish lovers, few destinations rival the Puget Sound region, where cold brackish waters create ideal conditions for oysters, clams, and mussels.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2026
The grass performs well in the brackish conditions common to seaside golf courses and offers excellent chipping surfaces.
—Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
Blood and tissue samples turned up positive for Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacterium found in warm, brackish waters.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brackish
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Eva Flowe
june 11, Charlotte Observer, 11 June 2026
For shellfish lovers, few destinations rival the Puget Sound region, where cold brackish waters create ideal conditions for oysters, clams, and mussels.
—Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2026
The grass performs well in the brackish conditions common to seaside golf courses and offers excellent chipping surfaces.
—Tim Corlett, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
Blood and tissue samples turned up positive for Vibrio vulnificus, a flesh-eating bacterium found in warm, brackish waters.
—Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for brackish
Cite this Entry
“Brackish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brackish. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brackish
adjective
brack·ish
ˈbrak-ish 
: somewhat salty
brackish water
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