Definition of BRANDISH

Choose the Right Synonym for brandish

Verb

swing, wave, flourish, brandish, thrash mean to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down. swing implies regular or uniform movement. swing the rope back and forth wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion. waving the flag flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement. flourished the winning lottery ticket brandish implies threatening or menacing motion. brandishing a knife thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement. an infant thrashing his arms about

Did You Know?

Verb

Most of the time when we encounter the word brandish in print, it is followed by a word for a weapon, such as "knife" or "handgun." That’s appropriate given the word’s etymology: it derives via Middle English braundisshen from brant, braund, the Anglo-French word for "sword." Nowadays you can brandish things other than weapons, however. The figurative usage of brandish rose alongside its earliest literal usage in the 14th century. When you brandish something that isn’t a weapon (such as a sign), you are in effect waving it in someone’s face so that it cannot be overlooked.

Examples of brandish in a Sentence

Verb She brandished a stick at the dog. I could see that he was brandishing a knife.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb But the commentary can veer cringe-worthy, as in a scene in which Hibbs’ character rants maniacally in Union Square while brandishing a bottle of whisky, kicking over patio furniture and yelling at extras playing pedestrians. — Gregory Thomas, SFChronicle.com, "Skier shreds SF’s hills in new film, ‘The Kook’," 1 Mar. 2020 In early January, Al Sudan, while brandishing a firearm, also threatened to attack the girlfriend, according to another document that charges him with aggravated assault of a family member. — Owen Zinkweg, Houston Chronicle, "Man accused of causing girlfriend to lose fetus," 25 Feb. 2020 Teens joyously mosh and throw up metal horns while brandishing the colorful Amazigh flag. — Teen Vogue, "16 Stunning Images from Morocco's L'Boulevard 2019 Festival," 7 Oct. 2019 According to what Kim Hallock told police, the assailant had no trouble -- even while brandishing a gun. — Erin Moriarty, CBS News, "Crosley Green's last chance for freedom," 19 Aug. 2019 Aggravated menacing: I-271 At 4 p.m. Feb. 12, police arrested on the I-271 entrance ramp at Chagrin Boulevard a Garfield Heights man, 22, who had brandished a gun during a road rage incident. — cleveland, "Pickpocket steals cash from Saks customer: Beachwood Police Blotter," 18 Feb. 2020 Many brandish cameras, selfie-sticks, microphones and other recording devices. — Jordan Runtagh, PEOPLE.com, "The Storming of Area 51: A Covert Journey to the Heart of America’s Worst-Kept Secret," 13 Jan. 2020 On another occasion Rey’s daughter, around eight at the time, answered the door to Roche, who was brandishing a human scalp. — The Economist, "Death in the Alps," 20 Dec. 2019 He was shot dead by police after he was restrained by civilians, including a chef who fought off the attacker with an ornamental 5-foot narwhal tusk and another who brandished a fire extinguisher. — Fox News, "University graduate Saskia Jones, 23, identified as second London Bridge attack victim," 3 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'brandish.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.