brandish

verb

bran·​dish ˈbran-dish 

brandished; brandishing; brandishes

transitive verb

1

: to shake or wave (something, such as a weapon) menacingly

brandished a knife at them

2

: to exhibit in an ostentatious or aggressive manner

brandishing her intellect

Did you know?

The word brandish is often paired with a word for a weapon, such as knife or handgun. The link between brandish and weaponry is present in the word’s etymology: brandish comes ultimately from a Germanic word meaning “sword.” Since the word’s 14th century introduction to the English language (by way of Anglo-French) weapons have commonly been the things brandished, but also extensive is the use of brandish with things that are wielded to defeat in other ways, such as banners and placards used in the war of ideas. One can even brandish something that isn’t physical, such as a law or one’s intellect. In that case, you are figuratively waving the thing in someone’s face so that it cannot be ignored.

Choose the Right Synonym for brandish

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

Examples of brandish in a Sentence

She brandished a stick at the dog.

I could see that he was brandishing a knife.

Recent Examples on the Web

The men would brandish firearms and smash car windows before demanding that the victim hand over the money. —Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2026

As the ferry slowly pulled into the Ishigaki port on May 29, a group of people waved the Taiwan flag and brandished a banner to welcome the first batch of visitors. —Wayne Chang, CNN Money, 3 June 2026

Her description of the deceased Alex Pretti brandishing a gun that threatened the lives of Border Patrol officers was quickly debunked, with several videos showing how he was killed despite posing no threat. —Sheldon Jacobson, Twin Cities, 2 June 2026

In the Menil work, the central character is an artist brandishing a bouquet of colored pencils, surrounded by a seraphic tumble of monochrome extras that are her handiwork. —Jeremy Lybarger, Artforum, 2 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English braundisshen, from Anglo-French brandiss-, stem of brandir, from brant, braund sword, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English brand

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for brandish

• outlandish

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Kids Definition

brandish

verb

bran·​dish

ˈbran-dish

1

: to shake or wave in a threatening manner

brandish a stick at a dog

2

: to exhibit in a showy or aggressive manner