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

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

Murder by Death District Music Hall, 71 Wall St., Norwalk The Indiana indie rock band Murder by Death, which features a cello in its lineup and a lot of brazen musical ideas, is calling it quits after a quarter century. —Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 21 June 2025

Such perspectives make Wax’s Izzy a multi-layered and often contradictory character: self-assured, yet also self-doubting; brazen, yet guilty; fearless, yet also fearful. —Frank Rizzo, Variety, 13 June 2025

Police arrested a Bronx man Thursday for slashing an MTA conductor during a brazen attack in Foxhurst earlier this week, cops said. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025

Agents with the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation and US Marshals arrested a former correctional center employee Monday who is accused of helping one of the two New Orleans prison escapees still on the run plan the brazen escape. —Jason Morris, CNN Money, 10 June 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