brash

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbrash 

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)

Synonyms of brash

Adjective

• bold
• wise
• cocky
• brazen
• brassy
• impudent
• insolent
• fresh
• sassy
• blunt
• cocksure
• assertive
• cheeky
• defiant
• saucy
• audacious
• impertinent

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

Despite his short and stocky appearance, garnering comparisons to a fire plug, La Guardia was loud and brash. —Mo Rocca, CBS News, 4 Jan. 2026

While Perfidia is loud, brash, emotional, reckless, and boisterous, Deandra is methodical, focused, and intentional. —Kathleen Newman-Bremang, Refinery29, 30 Dec. 2025

Noun

Those fans seemed vindicated when the brash Johnson came in and guided the Cowboys to their most losses ever in a 1-15 debut. —Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Jan. 2026

Watson brash, sort of firing on all cylinders, chaotic to a certain extent. —Deborah Unger, Scientific American, 5 Nov. 2025

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

Rhymes for brash

• ash
• bash
• cache
• cash
• clash
• crash
• dash
• flash
• gash
• hash
• lash
• mash

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

ˈbrash 

1

: an attack of illness

especially : a short severe illness

2

: water brash