Synonyms of brave

brave 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbrāv 

1

as in courageous

feeling or displaying no fear by temperament

despite considerable risk to their own safety, the brave team of rescuers rushed into the collapsed building

Synonyms & Similar Words

• courageous
• fearless
• valiant
• heroic
• gallant
• bold
• adventurous
• intrepid
• valorous
• manful
• dauntless
• foolish
• gutsy
• undaunted
• resolute
• impulsive
• daring
• stout
• stalwart
• stouthearted
• reckless
• lionhearted
• determined
• hardy
• spirited
• doughty
• Spartan
• gutty
• plucky
• unflinching
• undauntable
• greathearted
• mad
• spunky
• undeterred
• undismayed
• game
• venturous
• unswerving
• adventuresome
• venturesome
• gritty
• dashing
• audacious
• foolhardy
• impetuous
• daredevil
• brazen
• unafraid
• mettlesome
• imprudent
• thoughtless
• insane
• lunatic
• rash
• gamy
• hotheaded
• wild
• incautious
• hasty
• heedless
• reassured
• firm
• nutty
• encouraged
• overconfident
• crazy
• comforted
• brash
• madcap
• headlong
• precipitate
• emboldened
• overbold
• half-witted
• heartened

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• coward
• cowardly
• fearful
• timid
• yellow
• timorous
• craven
• pusillanimous
• scary
• spineless
• dastardly
• unheroic
• gutless
• fainthearted
• shy
• anxious
• careful
• nervous
• cautious
• nerveless
• spiritless
• ungallant
• chicken
• apprehensive
• afraid
• diffident
• skittish
• prudent
• mousy
• frightened
• scared
• uncourageous
• terrified
• startled
• poor-spirited
• unadventurous
• upset
• lily-livered
• weakhearted
• chickenhearted
• poltroon
• milk-livered
• heedful
• panicked
• disturbed
• shocked
• spooked
• agitated
• unnerved
• worried
• perturbed
• horrified
• chicken-livered
• concerned
• weak
• disconcerted
• disquieted
• dismayed
• appalled
• wimpy
• unmanly
• terrorized
• panic-stricken

2

as in wonderful

of the very best kind

the gourmet food shop is off to a brave start

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wonderful
• lovely
• excellent
• beautiful
• great
• awesome
• terrific
• fabulous
• superb
• fantastic
• stellar
• marvelous
• fine
• hot
• prime
• cool
• famous
• neat
• noble
• classic
• splendid
• good
• keen
• heavenly
• quality
• slick
• divine
• sensational
• radical
• choice
• grand
• cracking
• exceptional
• righteous
• frontline
• superior
• sterling
• immense
• dandy
• banner
• too much
• first-rate
• top
• swell
• fab
• first-class
• superlative
• bully
• nifty
• top-notch
• par excellence
• crackerjack
• high-class
• groovy
• prize
• gone
• mean
• decent
• boss
• unsurpassed
• topping
• capital
• peachy
• blue-ribbon
• dope
• wizard
• fantabulous
• blue-chip
• dynamite
• out of this world
• top-shelf
• topflight
• first-string
• bonny
• better
• number one
• supernal
• adequate
• out-of-sight
• peachy keen
• brag
• special
• down
• tip-top
• prizewinning
• bumper
• acceptable
• bang-up
• hype
• top-of-the-line
• corking
• primo
• jim-dandy
• gangbusters
• satisfactory
• A1
• A-OK
• boffo
• five-star
• OK
• numero uno
• all right
• phat
• four-star
• tolerable
• traditional
• fancy
• classical
• passable
• gilt-edged
• select
• premium
• high-grade
• high-test
• standard
• superfine

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• poor
• terrible
• awful
• pathetic
• vile
• wretched
• rotten
• lousy
• atrocious
• bad
• unsatisfactory
• inferior
• execrable
• substandard
• low-grade
• mediocre
• second-class
• middling
• second-rate

brave

2 of 2

verb

as in to confront

to oppose (something hostile or dangerous) with firmness or courage

a soldier who braved enemy fire to rescue her wounded comrade

Synonyms & Similar Words

• confront
• face
• dare
• withstand
• brazen
• breast
• beard
• defy
• stand up to
• encounter
• outbrave
• resist
• fight
• outface
• meet
• challenge
• front
• stand
• face up (to)
• approach
• affront
• oppose
• battle
• combat
• repel
• accost
• contend (with)
• square (off)
• corner

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• avoid
• duck
• dodge
• shirk
• shun
• sidestep
• eschew
• escape
• evade
• shake
• elude
• funk

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of brave

Adjective

And despite Lily’s attempts to put on a brave face, eventually, every crappy event — from the attempt of her high school boyfriend Scooter to win her back to Marshall’s unfortunate encounter with a pair of clippers — threatened to derail their day. — Erin Strecker, Entertainment Weekly, 22 Aug. 2026

Lots of seemingly brave souls have submitted once activists got their hooks in them. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Verb

About 100 people braved 90-degree temperatures to honor the men who put their lives on the line and used a Native language — one the nation had once fought to suppress — to help win the war. — Debra Utacia Krol, AZCentral.com, 14 Aug. 2026

Crowds of dedicated diners braved the 90-degree heat to line up around the ’50s-style restaurant and took in the sights, sounds and smells of Heart’s for one last time. — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 2026