brassy

adjective \ ˈbra-sē \

Definition of brassy

brassier; brassiest

1 a :shamelessly bold

a brassy reporter

b :obstreperous

2 :resembling brass especially in color

3 :resembling the sound of a brass instrument

—

brassily

play \ˈbra-sə-lē\ adverb

—

brassiness

play \ˈbra-sē-nəs\ noun

See brassy defined for English-language learners

See brassy defined for kids

Examples of brassy in a Sentence

a brassy customer insisted on arriving late and still being taken first

Recent Examples of brassy from the Web

His brassy ensemble’s San Diego concert next week will feature selections from both MONK’estra albums.

— george varga, sandiegouniontribune.com, "'American Idol' vet John Beasley salutes Thelonoius Monk with MONK'estra," 17 Aug. 2017
Pleasantries in their own right, of course, but not the inline-five’s brassy, thick curdle of discordant harmonies, those deep thrums and shrill highs made possible by sparking combustion every 144 degrees of crankshaft rotation.

— clifford atiyeh, Car and Driver, "Fives Alive! We Track the 2018 Audi TT RS and RS3," 3 Aug. 2017
Their horn-heavy and groovy sound evokes the Afro-beat of Fela, with dense brassy harmonies and hypnotic keyboard weirdness that tips the hat to Sun Ra.

— john adamian, courant.com, "Big Mean Sound Machine At Arch Street Tavern," 19 July 2017
Unlike the namesake doll, however, this Barbie is brassy, curvy, red-haired, and Latina.

— amy lombard, Bon Appetit, "The drag queen burger joint that's planning world domination.," 10 July 2017
To ensure that your hair doesn’t end up looking brassy and dull after a day at the pool, try the new Macadamia Sun Shield Dry Oil.

— star-telegram, "Lotions of Refuge: Protect yourself from harmful UV rays with hair, face and body products," 5 July 2017
Avi, meanwhile, is really probably too broad a character for this show, but his brassy flair amid so much gloomy earnestness is like water in the desert.

— james poniewozik, New York Times, "Review: FX’s ‘Snowfall’ Dramatizes an Origin Story for Crack Cocaine," 3 July 2017
But the heavy amplification — a nagging problem throughout the show — rendered her sound brassy and squeaky.

— john von rhein, chicagotribune.com, "Energetic ensemble sparks Evanston troupe's season-opening 'Candide'," 4 June 2017
A year after it was written, the group's brassy country single hits the top 15.

— tom roland, Billboard, "Lady Antebellum's 'You Look Good' Tips a Hat to the '90s -- And, Maybe, Maren Morris," 31 May 2017

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

First Known Use of brassy

1596

brassy Synonyms

Synonyms

arch, audacious, bold, bold-faced, brash, brassbound, nervy, 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

BRASSY Defined for English Language Learners

brassy

adjective

Definition of brassy for English Language Learners

: very confident and aggressive in a loud and sometimes annoying way
: having a loud and often harsh sound
: resembling or suggesting brass

Learn More about brassy

See words that rhyme with brassy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for brassy Spanish Central: Translation of brassy Nglish: Translation of brassy for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

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

show

brassy

Definition of brassy

brassily

brassiness

Explore Merriam-Webster

Examples of brassy in a Sentence

Recent Examples of brassy from the Web

First Known Use of brassy

brassy Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Near Antonyms

BRASSY Defined for English Language Learners

brassy

Definition of brassy for English Language Learners

Learn More about brassy

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Learned Fools: On Names for Students

Trending: NY Times: Trump's Call Ignites 'Imbroglio'

The Exceptions Quiz III

17 English Words that Come From Japanese

Words of the Year: 1066