brandish
to shake or wave, as a weapon; flourish: Brandishing his sword, he rode into battle.
a flourish or waving, as of a weapon.
Origin of brandish
1Other words for brandish
Other words from brandish
- bran·dish·er, noun
Words Nearby brandish
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use brandish in a sentence
Those who do nothing to end the slaughter are as complicit as those who brandish their weapons.
It does not give you license to brandish a gun and wave it around.
Both Cameron and Sarkozy will now brandish their cojones, claiming to have had “a good war.”
As with his Harvard degree, Obama did not hesitate to brandish his pretty white wife with the Boston accent.
An ambitious stripling has only to brandish his sword and shout a few magniloquent words to induce them to rush to certain death.
My Religion | Leo Tolstoy
Suddenly he was startled by seeing his mother snatch a stump of a fire-shovel from the hearth and brandish it over his head.
All He Knew | John HabbertonWho are we, the Wolves, to brandish empty firearms, to shrink from letting a little blood!
Mr. Grex of Monte Carlo | E. Phillips OppenheimThey brandish their torches and swiftly spin on one leg, and snap their fingers to chase away the aggressive spirits.
From the Caves and Jungles of Hindostan | Helena Pretrovna BlavatskyThou didst also worship the bountiful immortals, and wast the first to brandish the veresma and to sing the Gathas.
The Worlds Greatest Books, Volume XIII. | Various
British Dictionary definitions for brandish
/ (ˈbrændɪʃ) /
to wave or flourish (a weapon) in a triumphant, threatening, or ostentatious way
a threatening or defiant flourish
Origin of brandish
1Derived forms of brandish
- brandisher, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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