brazen

1 of 2

adjective

bra·​zen ˈbrā-zᵊn 

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

brazenly adverb

brazenness

ˈbrā-zᵊn-(n)əs 

noun

brazen

2 of 2

verb

brazened; brazening

ˈbrāz-niŋ, 

ˈbrā-zᵊn-iŋ 

transitive verb

: to face with defiance or impudence

—usually used in the phrase brazen it out

Synonyms of brazen

Adjective

• bold
• impudent
• wise
• insolent
• audacious
• fresh
• cheeky
• cocky
• defiant
• blunt
• brassy
• sassy
• saucy
• brash
• cocksure
• assertive
• impertinent
• brazen-faced

Verb

• confront
• face
• brave

Examples of brazen in a Sentence

Adjective

He exhibited a brazen disregard for other people's feelings.

a brazen demand for special treatment just because she's rich

Verb

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Hundreds of rare books were damaged when a pipe burst inside the Louvre’s Egyptian antiquities library, a setback that comes just weeks after the museum was rocked by a brazen jewel heist. —Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 8 Dec. 2025

This is a brazen fraudulent activity here. —CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025

This week’s incident marks the latest brazen escape from a Louisiana jail this year, after 10 inmates broke out of a New Orleans jail in a stunning overnight escape, using electric hair trimmers with multiple clipper blades to help cut their way through the cell walls. —Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 6 Dec. 2025

There is no room in the United States for brazen, violent acts of antisemitism like this. —Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Verb

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

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1555, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing brazen

• brazen-faced
• brazen it out

Rhymes for brazen

• blazon
• hazan
• zazen
• malmaison

Kids Definition

brazen

1 of 2 adjective

bra·​zen ˈbrāz-ᵊn 

1

: made of brass

2

: sounding harsh and loud like struck brass

3

: not ashamed of or embarrassed by one's bad behavior : impudent

4

: of the color of polished brass

brazenly adverb

brazenness

ˈbrāz-ᵊn-(n)əs 

noun

brazen

2 of 2 verb

brazened; brazening ˈbrāz-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to face boldly or defiantly

an enemy who'd rather brazen it out than surrender