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
Synonyms
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 WebDanny Emerman, The Mercury News, 15 July 2024
Her father was in the boat; her mother stood on the shore, trying to be brave for her daughter.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2024
Hafiz Haroun, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
The second was Tuesday versus the Cubs when more than 30,000 fans (some in Chicago blue) braved the oppressive heat at Camden Yards.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 12 July 2024
Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 1 June 2024
Today, with inflation running near 100 percent and an economy that could grind to a halt given a structural lack of hard currency, optimism is reserved for the brave.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for brave 
Adjective
Before the Games have even started, fans have seen Curry brave 115-degree heat to sign autographs and connect with LeBron James on a fast-break lob in Team USA’s exhibition against Canada.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 15 July 2024
Her father was in the boat; her mother stood on the shore, trying to be brave for her daughter.
—Lori Riley, Hartford Courant, 13 July 2024
Verb
Hassan’s 18-year-old daughter braved the risk of rape at roadblocks to find Mokhlis and inform him about their mother’s death in person.
—Hafiz Haroun, Washington Post, 19 July 2024
The second was Tuesday versus the Cubs when more than 30,000 fans (some in Chicago blue) braved the oppressive heat at Camden Yards.
—Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 12 July 2024
Noun
Still, Marler braves on; he’s got his team to watch.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 1 June 2024
Today, with inflation running near 100 percent and an economy that could grind to a halt given a structural lack of hard currency, optimism is reserved for the brave.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for brave
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near brave
Cite this Entry
“Brave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brave. Accessed 27 Jul. 2024.
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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