brash

adjective \ ˈbrash \

Definition of brash

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 ¹demonstrative 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

See brash defined for English-language learners

See brash defined for kids

Examples of brash in a Sentence

She asks such brash questions.
a brash request to get something for free

Recent Examples of brash from the Web

And the brash Mauch, the manager of the 1964 Phillies and Mackanin’s manager for two seasons with Minnesota and Montreal, always seems to stand out.

— matt breen, Philly.com, "Pete Mackanin thanks former Phillies manager Gene Mauch; Velasquez seeking second opinion," 25 Aug. 2017
But seven months into his presidency, and despite the short vacation, Trump hasn’t figured out how to reconcile his brash campaign style with the actual demands of governing.

— david a. graham, The Atlantic, "Trump's Vacation Is Over," 23 Aug. 2017
Then, of course there’s the brash humor of two broads in full feud mode.

— kristy puchko, HWD, "The Gloriously Queer Afterlife of Death Becomes Her," 3 Aug. 2017
So wouldn't Scaramucci's brash rant be right up Trump's alley?

— emma dibdin, Cosmopolitan, "President Trump, Who Once Bragged About Sexual Assault, Found Scaramucci's Comments "Inappropriate"," 31 July 2017
In the absence of SNL, Comedy Central's The President Show seized the moment and brought on Scaramucci with a brash Italian-American actor with a striking resemblance to the Mooch: Mario Cantone.

— megan friedman, Esquire, "Mario Cantone Just Turned in an Expert SNL Audition as Anthony Scaramucci," 28 July 2017
Forrest refused customary contrition, horrifying the starched upper class (and delighting Americans with his brash defiance).

— betsy golden kellem, Smithsonian, "When New York City Rioted Over Hamlet Being Too British," 19 July 2017
The Cubs’ President of Baseball Operations made a brash move by acquiring left-handed starter Jose Quintana from the crosstown White Sox for four players, including outfielder Eloy Jimenez, the No.

— ryan divish, The Seattle Times, "The quest to obtain starting pitches rages on," 15 July 2017
CONFIDENT NEWCOMER: Maney is a brash 31-year-old real estate agent and developer who doesn't care about the historical significance of potentially becoming the first openly gay Republican elected to office in Hamilton County.

— jason williams, Cincinnati.com, "PX: For this gay Cincinnati candidate, 'identity politics is a joke'," 12 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of brash

origin unknown

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1566

See Words from the same year

brash Synonyms

Synonyms

arch, audacious, bold, bold-faced, nervy, brassbound, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, impertinent, impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, wise

Antonyms

meek, mousy (or mousey), retiring, shy, timid

Related Words

assertive, forward, obtrusive; audacious, defiant, disrespectful; shameless, unabashed, unblushing; bluff, blunt, curt; cute, facetious, flip, flippant, pert, smart, smart-aleck, smart-alecky; lippy, mouthy

Near Antonyms

demure, humble, modest; courteous, genteel, mannerly, polite, proper; deferential, respectful; abashed, ashamed, blushing, embarrassed, shamefaced; gentle, mild; inconspicuous, unobtrusive

brash

noun

Definition of brash

:a mass of fragments (as of ice)

Recent Examples of brash from the Web

But on Tuesday, the brash comic retracted her earlier apology.

— mike scott, NOLA.com, "Kathy Griffin 'no longer sorry' for controversial Trump photo," 30 Aug. 2017
Fourth-round pick Josh Malone won’t be caught making brash predictions boasting immediate success in the NFL or making comment about a need to run with the first team in the preseason.

— paul dehner jr., Cincinnati.com, "Josh Malone trying to control next step," 16 Aug. 2017
Its brash, 38-year-old developer was something of a tabloid celebrity himself.

— craig unger, New Republic, "Trump’s Russian Laundromat," 13 July 2017
What to expect: Pop-punk songs with earworm hooks and a brash, youthful sensibility, from a Philadelphia band on the rise.

— mary colurso | mcolurso@al.com, AL.com, "15 must-see acts at Sloss Fest 2017," 13 July 2017
Valerian (Dane DeHaan) is our brash 007 and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) his wiser and (maybe) deadlier partner.

— jordan hoffman, Popular Mechanics, "'Valerian' Is a Flawed Journey Into a Fascinating Sci-Fi World," 10 July 2017
The EU came over to ask China for their top two priorities, while a brash US delegation opted for playing hardball with the Chinese.

— scott k. johnson, Ars Technica, "Fake climate negotiations produce real impacts," 26 June 2017
In the brash, entrepreneurial Walsh, Eleanor Gehrig had a savvy guide through Hollywood at her most vulnerable time.

— richard sandomir, SI.com, "How Gary Cooper, Pride of the Yankees film became the accepted reality of Lou Gehrig's life," 21 June 2017
Travis Kalanick, Uber's brash and embattled CEO, is out.

— matt vella, Time, "Uber Shows Why Silicon Valley Needs to Rewrite Its Hero-Founder Myth," 21 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of brash

obsolete English brash to breach a wall

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1787

See Words from the same year

BRASH Defined for English Language Learners

brash

adjective

Definition of brash for English Language Learners

: confident and aggressive in usually a rude or unpleasant way
: very strong or harsh

Medical Dictionary

brash

noun \ ˈbrash \

medical Definition of brash

1 :an attack of illness; especially :a short severe illness

2 :water brash

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Origin and Etymology of brash

brash Synonyms

Synonyms

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Near Antonyms

brash

Definition of brash

Recent Examples of brash from the Web

Origin and Etymology of brash

BRASH Defined for English Language Learners

brash

Definition of brash for English Language Learners

Medical Dictionary

brash

medical Definition of brash

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