brass-knuckled

adjective brass-knuck·led

Definition of brass-knuckled

: inclined to or exhibiting aggression, hostility, or combativeness

Arnault's willingness to wage the sort of highly publicized, brass-knuckled takeover battle formerly anathema to European executives has a lot to do with the U.S. market.
—Dana Thomas, et al., Newsweek, 5 Apr. 1999

There's more!

Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
Advanced search features
Ad free!

First Known Use of brass-knuckled

1905

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up brass-knuckled? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

skirl

play

to emit the high shrill tone of bagpipes

BROWSE DICTIONARY

brassiere

brass instrument

brass-knuckled

brass knuckles

brass pounder

Test Your Vocabulary

Words for Summer: A Quiz

Which of the following words means “of or relating to summer”?

How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?

Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!

TAKE THE QUIZ

SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games