brash

1 of 2

adjective

1
: brittle
brash wood
2
a
: heedless of the consequences : audacious
a brash adventurer
b
: done in haste without regard for consequences : rash
brash acts
3
a
: full of fresh raw vitality
a brash frontier town
b
: uninhibitedly energetic or demonstrative (see demonstrative entry 1 sense 3) : bumptious
a brash comedian
4
a
: lacking restraint and discernment : tactless
brash remarks
b
: aggressively self-assertive : impudent
brash to the point of arrogance
5
: piercingly sharp : harsh
a brash squeal of brakes
6
: marked by vivid contrast : bold
brash colors
brashly adverb
brashness noun

brash

2 of 2

noun

: a mass of fragments (as of ice)

Examples of brash in a Sentence

Adjective She asks such brash questions. a brash request to get something for free
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The Fabs were confident—and typically brash— about their new sound. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024 No wallflowers here; the women are brash, brassy, and refreshingly bold. Debby Wolfinsohn, EW.com, 4 Feb. 2024 The outcome of Musk’s pay package dispute is the latest instance of a towering, brash business leader getting put in his place by the one institution powerful enough to do so: US courts. Allison Morrow, CNN, 31 Jan. 2024 Sometimes, actually, a visit there begins with many of them: sweet, nutty and earthy, with a brash note of cumin cutting through. Megan McCrea, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2024 While Gwen is brash and impulsive, Beth is more reserved and thoughtful, and Alban captures each of their voices with twinkling, distinctive cadences. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 Feb. 2024 In the early 2010s, Vice was considered one of the hottest brands in digital media, known for its brash journalistic style and far-reaching commercial ambitions. Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 23 Feb. 2024 Of the four, the Prologue is the most restrained in its design compared to the bold and brash Blazer. Sam Abuelsamid, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 And Nichols was brash, but also both an idealistic and sophisticated guy going to Hollywood where he is confronted with a way of working and a set of standards that are, to his mind, inferior and that present innumerable obstacles to his vision. Stuart Miller, Orange County Register, 14 Feb. 2024
Noun
The brash ’80s, referenced by Piccioli at Valentino and Alexandre Vauthier, who paid homage to the elegance of Grace Jones , felt more immediate and relevant. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 30 Jan. 2023 But in part because of his previous reputation as a dove, Mr. Kishida has so far pushed the envelope further while encountering less resistance than Abe’s sometimes brash approaches. Walter Russell Mead, WSJ, 28 Nov. 2022 In one memorable moment, Mr. Falwell celebrated his 2016 endorsement of Mr. Trump by posing for a picture with him in front of a Trump Tower office wall that included a framed copy of a 1990 Playboy cover featuring the brash real estate developer. Michael C. Bender, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2023 From the brash but supposedly visionary CEO to the superstar trader who never seems to sleep, crypto, like other high-flying industries, is filled with hotshots. Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 26 Dec. 2022 Insiders in both parties believed the brash Mr. Bolduc would turn off independents and suburban voters. Andrew Cline, WSJ, 3 Nov. 2022 But the odds are not necessarily in investors’ favor—next time markets bubble up again, Mr. Son’s brash style may resurface as well. Jacky Wong, WSJ, 8 Aug. 2022 Billionaire Elon Musk is known for many things -- like his revolutionary ideas, brash management style and controversial tweets. Malathi Nayak, Bloomberg.com, 9 Feb. 2022 Of course, Black and Stewart’s brash style has its detractors. Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 17 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brash.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

origin unknown

Noun

obsolete English brash to breach a wall

First Known Use

Adjective

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1787, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brash was in 1566

Dictionary Entries Near brash

Cite this Entry

“Brash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brash. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

brash

adjective
ˈbrash
1
: reckless, rash
a brash attack
2
: rudely bold : impudent
a brash youth
3
: marked by vivid contrast
brash colors
brashly adverb
brashness noun

Medical Definition

brash

noun
1
: an attack of illness
especially : a short severe illness
2

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