brunette

1 of 2

noun

bru·​nette brü-ˈnet 

variants or less commonly brunet

: a person having brown hair

—usually used of a woman or girl and usually spelled brunette in that use

—when used of a man or boy usually spelled brunet

brunette

2 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly brunet

: of a dark brown color

brunette hair

also : having brunette hair

a brunette woman

—usually used of a woman or girl and usually spelled brunette in that use

—when used of a man or boy usually spelled brunet

Synonyms of brunette

Adjective

• dark
• black
• swarthy

Examples of brunette in a Sentence

Adjective

two of the kids were brunette like their mom

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Styled by Serge Normant and colored by Gina Gilbert, the hairdo trailed behind her like a multidimensional shadow, blending gray, blond and brunette tones. — Kaleigh Werner, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026

Bright isn't the only star who recently went dark, either; Hailey Bieber has been sporting a much darker brunette too. — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 28 Sep. 2026

Adjective

Stalter kept the statuesque theme going with her beauty look, using Amika products to style her normally brunette locks in a structured golden updo that was slicked away from her face and featured tight curls at the top. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026

Aligning with the party's all-white dress code, the brunette woman hanging out with the former Yankees player wore a short, white dress with an open back. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

French brunet, masculine, brunette, feminine, brownish, from Old French, from brun brown, from Medieval Latin brunus, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German brūn brown

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1539, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1709, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brunette

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beget
• beset
• binet
• briquette
• brunet
• burette
• cadet