brazen

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adjective bra·zen \ ˈbrā-zᵊn \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of brazen

1 :made of brass

drinking from brazen cups

2 a :sounding harsh and loud like struck brass

the horrible brazen voice of the fire bell
—Elmer Davis

b :of the color of polished brass

3 :marked by shameless or disrespectful boldness

a brazen disregard for the rules

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brazenly

adverb

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brazenness

play \ˈbrā-zᵊn-(n)əs\ noun

See brazen defined for English-language learners

See brazen defined for kids

Examples of brazen in a Sentence

He exhibited a brazen disregard for other people's feelings.
a brazen demand for special treatment just because she's rich

Recent Examples of brazen from the Web

At the time, Chicagoans could seemingly take comfort that the brazen demonstration of bigotry was more than 700 miles away, focused on a dispute over the removal of Confederate monuments.

— tony briscoe, chicagotribune.com, "Ravenswood Gardens residents find vandalism with hateful message," 26 Aug. 2017
The sleeping Serie A giants have already splashed a tonne of cash out on bolstering Vincenzo Montella's side this summer, but La Gazzetta dello Sport has claimed that their brazen spending is not over yet.

— SI.com, "AC Milan Draw Up 7-Man Striker Shortlist as Big Spenders Eye 1 More Marquee Signing," 5 Aug. 2017
Most of them loved both the comment and the necklace, expecting nothing less than Bella to be her brazen self.

— alyssa hardy, Teen Vogue, "Bella Thorne's Necklace Causes Confusion on Social Media," 31 July 2017
How to work with a president who is key to advancing much of the GOP agenda without endorsing his brazen disregard for institutional and personal norms?

— rich lowry, National Review, "Trump Family Values," 28 July 2017
Trump’s brazen attack on longtime advocate Jeff Sessions, which dominated his Times interview, has been interpreted as a warning sign that the attorney general faces imminent dismissal.

— isobel thompson, The Hive, "Fear, Panic, and Talk of Pardons as Trump Weighs Total War on Mueller," 21 July 2017
Saudi actions in this regard are so embarrassing and brazen that Western nations won’t even let themselves be heard discussing them intelligibly.

— michael brendan dougherty, National Review, "Our Relationship with Saudi Arabia Is an Embarrassment," 20 July 2017
The second part of her statement is equally brazen.

— aaron blake, Washington Post, "Kellyanne Conway just set the modern record for political spin," 14 July 2017
To this brazen measuring of ethnic and cultural heritage, Sam Kirk adds a third element of identity: gender.

— lori waxman, chicagotribune.com, "National Museum of Mexican Art celebrates its 30th with a protest party," 5 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of brazen

Middle English brasen, from Old English bræsen, from bræs brass

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

brazen Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Other Color Terms

argentine, cerise, cerulean, cyan, ocher, perse, puce, taupe, vermilion

brazen

verb

Definition of brazen

brazened; brazening play \ˈbrāz-niŋ, ˈbrā-zᵊn-iŋ\

transitive verb

:to face with defiance or impudence —usually used in the phrase brazen it out

See brazen defined for English-language learners

Examples of brazen in a Sentence

a filmmaker willing to brazen the criticism that such a violent film was sure to provoke

Recent Examples of brazen from the Web

Despite his reputation, many experts agree that behind the bombast and cult of personality lies a rational, if brazen, leader who sees nuclear weapons as his only hope for survival.

— michael holtz, The Christian Science Monitor, "How Kim rules: What the North Korean leader's unexpected directions for his country mean for the US," 28 Aug. 2017

Origin and Etymology of brazen

see ¹brazen

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1555

See Words from the same year

brazen Synonyms

Synonyms

beard, brave, face, breast, confront, dare, defy, outbrave, outface

Antonyms

dodge, duck, funk, shirk, sidestep

Related Words

face up (to), front; affront; challenge; encounter, meet; accost, approach, corner; repel, resist, stand, withstand; battle, combat, contend (with), fight, oppose, square (off)

Near Antonyms

avoid, eschew, shun; elude, escape, evade, shake

BRAZEN Defined for English Language Learners

brazen

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adjective

Definition of brazen for English Language Learners

: acting or done in a very open and shocking way without shame or embarrassment

BRAZEN Defined for Kids

brazen

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adjective bra·zen \ ˈbrā-zᵊn \

Definition of brazen for Students

1 :made of brass

2 :sounding loud and usually harsh

brazen voices

3 :done or acting in a very bold and shocking way without shame He's a brazen liar.

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

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brazen Synonyms

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brazen

Definition of brazen

Examples of brazen in a Sentence

Recent Examples of brazen from the Web

Origin and Etymology of brazen

brazen Synonyms

Synonyms

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BRAZEN Defined for English Language Learners

brazen

Definition of brazen for English Language Learners

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