1
a(1)
: an upper or outer margin : verge
(2)
archaic
: the upper surface of a body of water
b
: the edge or rim of a hollow vessel, a natural depression, or a cavity
2
: the projecting rim of a hat
brimmed; brimming
: to fill to the brim
1
: to be or become full often to overflowing
eyes brimming with tears
2
: to reach or overflow a brim
Synonyms
Examples of brim in a Sentence
Noun
the brim of the teacup was banded with gold
touched the brim of his cap by way of salute
Verb
Her heart was brimming with happiness.
The show brims with excitement.
Recent Examples on the Web
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2024
Reykjavik, the capital and largest city brims with museums, churches, cozy restaurants, and bars.
—Kaye Toal, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2023
But despite his persona as a chill, hammock-hanging dude with a hat brim shading his eyes, Kenny Chesney remains admirably indefatigable.
—USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
Set in a classroom outside Tehran where four people are studying for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam, the play brims with dramatic tension and strikes emotional chords in subtle and surprising ways.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2024
The magazine’s first employee was Rea Irvin, a charismatic and worldly man-about-town—known for his distinctive fedora with a wide brim—who had been an actor, a comic-strip artist, and an art editor.
—Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Bucket hats like the 3-inch wide brim UPF 50+ sun hat from NPJY are perfect because the wide brim offers ample coverage not just for your head but also your neck and face.
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024
Beyond its rarefied decor, the hotel brims with creature comforts–like the heated rooftop pool, open seasonally from April to October and exclusively for hotel guests, offering jaw-dropping panoramic views over the city.
—Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
An innovation came in 1912 when Fred Clarke of the Pittsburgh Pirates used nuts and bolts to create a device that allowed sunglasses to flip up under the brim of the baseball cap, solving the problem of regular glasses falling off.
—Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024
Julie Destefano, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2024
On the other side, the expansive, sunny sky drops straight to the water, which, though calm and at low tide, now brims over the top of the road and into a parking lot.
—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2024
Renowned for its craftsmanship, Istanbul is brimming with modern spins on the city's rich heritage.
—Sevil Delin, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
Charting a Course for the Future As Nice Art Gallery looks to the future, the horizon brims with promise and potential.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
The way Mancuso translates his artistic idiosyncrasies into a delightfully overwhelming symphony of set-pieces and imagery points to a bold imagination brimming with ideas.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
The world brims with demanding and nuanced intricacies.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Domenica Bongiovanni Jazmine Nelson and Minerva Pineda-Allen will gather with thousands of others across the city on Monday, brimming with the anticipation of witnessing a cosmic event that only occurs in the same place about every 375 years.
—The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024
The Butterfly House is like a greenhouse out of a fairy tale, brimming with countless butterflies.
—Vogue, 3 Apr. 2024
Noun
The treatment affects not only the look but also how the brim snaps and holds.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 3 Mar. 2024
Reykjavik, the capital and largest city brims with museums, churches, cozy restaurants, and bars.
—Kaye Toal, Travel + Leisure, 20 Dec. 2023
But despite his persona as a chill, hammock-hanging dude with a hat brim shading his eyes, Kenny Chesney remains admirably indefatigable.
—USA TODAY, 20 Mar. 2024
Set in a classroom outside Tehran where four people are studying for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) exam, the play brims with dramatic tension and strikes emotional chords in subtle and surprising ways.
—David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Feb. 2024
The magazine’s first employee was Rea Irvin, a charismatic and worldly man-about-town—known for his distinctive fedora with a wide brim—who had been an actor, a comic-strip artist, and an art editor.
—Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Bucket hats like the 3-inch wide brim UPF 50+ sun hat from NPJY are perfect because the wide brim offers ample coverage not just for your head but also your neck and face.
—Karthika Gupta, Travel + Leisure, 21 Mar. 2024
Beyond its rarefied decor, the hotel brims with creature comforts–like the heated rooftop pool, open seasonally from April to October and exclusively for hotel guests, offering jaw-dropping panoramic views over the city.
—Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
An innovation came in 1912 when Fred Clarke of the Pittsburgh Pirates used nuts and bolts to create a device that allowed sunglasses to flip up under the brim of the baseball cap, solving the problem of regular glasses falling off.
—Detroit Free Press, 23 Feb. 2024
Verb
The pages of Sky High! are brimming with charming illustrations, taking young readers through a comprehensive history of aviation from its earliest days to modern age.
—Julie Destefano, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2024
On the other side, the expansive, sunny sky drops straight to the water, which, though calm and at low tide, now brims over the top of the road and into a parking lot.
—Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, 11 Apr. 2024
Renowned for its craftsmanship, Istanbul is brimming with modern spins on the city's rich heritage.
—Sevil Delin, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Apr. 2024
Charting a Course for the Future As Nice Art Gallery looks to the future, the horizon brims with promise and potential.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 8 Apr. 2024
The way Mancuso translates his artistic idiosyncrasies into a delightfully overwhelming symphony of set-pieces and imagery points to a bold imagination brimming with ideas.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 6 Apr. 2024
The world brims with demanding and nuanced intricacies.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2024
Domenica Bongiovanni Jazmine Nelson and Minerva Pineda-Allen will gather with thousands of others across the city on Monday, brimming with the anticipation of witnessing a cosmic event that only occurs in the same place about every 375 years.
—The Indianapolis Star, 4 Apr. 2024
The Butterfly House is like a greenhouse out of a fairy tale, brimming with countless butterflies.
—Vogue, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brim.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English brimme; akin to Middle High German brem edge
First Known Use
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)
Verb
1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Time Traveler
The first known use of brim was
in the 13th century
Phrases Containing brim
Dictionary Entries Near brim
Cite this Entry
“Brim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brim. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
brim
2 of 2 verb
brimmed; brimming
: to be or become full to overflowing
brimming with happiness
eyes brimming with tears
boats brimming with tourists
More from Merriam-Webster on brim
Nglish: Translation of brim for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of brim for Arabic Speakers
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