braver; bravest
1
: having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty : having or showing courage
a brave soldier
a brave smile
2
: making a fine show : colorful
brave banners flying in the wind
bravely
adverb
braved; braving
1
: to face or endure with courage
braved the rush-hour traffic to get there
braving the elements
2
obsolete
: to make showy
archaic
: to show courage : to make a brave show
braver
noun
1
[in part borrowed from French, noun derivative of brave brave entry 1]
: one with mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty : one who is brave (see brave entry 1)
… none but the brave deserves the fair.—
John Dryden
John Dryden
specifically
: an American Indian warrior
2
archaic
: bravado
Examples of brave in a Sentence
Adjective
She gave us a brave smile.
He lost his brave fight against the disease.
Verb
Thousands of fans braved rush-hour traffic to see the concert.
a soldier who braved enemy fire to rescue her wounded comrade
Recent Examples on the Web
Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
Consider having some extra treats on hand to distract your dog and encourage them to be brave puppies.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
But for now, the best view from Turn 1 costs only the extra price of showing up early and braving the midday Texas sun.
—Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
John Hopewell, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
In this video, CNN’s Isabel Rosales braves the infamous Netherworld Haunted House and explores the psychology behind our fascination with fear.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brave
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
So this toast is for the ancestors, those brave souls who wouldn’t settle for what was handed to them.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
Consider having some extra treats on hand to distract your dog and encourage them to be brave puppies.
—Cody Godwin, USA Today, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Still, Gomez braved a rainy, cold Saturday night to attend a dance social in the West Loop.
—Kinsey Crowley, USA Today, 27 Oct. 2025
But for now, the best view from Turn 1 costs only the extra price of showing up early and braving the midday Texas sun.
—Patrick Iversen, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
Sourced from July’s Bogotá Audiovisual Market (BAM), a young adult miniseries in which an 18th-century witch braves 2020s reality to grant her cat a never-ending ninth life, trailed by Marie’s seven former souls.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 3 Nov. 2025
In this video, CNN’s Isabel Rosales braves the infamous Netherworld Haunted House and explores the psychology behind our fascination with fear.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brave
Cite this Entry
“Brave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brave. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brave
1 of 3 adjective1
: feeling or displaying no fear : courageous
2
: making a fine show : splendid
brave banners flying in the wind
bravely
adverb
brave
2 of 3 verb
braved; braving
: to face or bear with courage
pioneers who braved the dangers of the frontier
brave
3 of 3 noun
: one who is brave
especially
: a warrior of an Indigenous people of North America
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