donnybrook
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What does donnybrook mean? A donnybrook is a wild brawl or a rowdy dispute. The word implies a big, riotous scene, especially one that unfolds in public. When it refers to a brawl, it usually means a chaotic free-for-all among many people in a crowded place. Donnybrook is sometimes capitalized. Example: After the game, a small argument in the parking lot between fans of the opposing teams turned into an all-out donnybrook.
Etymology
Origin of donnybrook
First recorded in 1850–55; after Donnybrook (Fair).
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Not even when Seattle’s Will Borgen and Rantanen tangled in a donnybrook near the Avalanche’s net.
From Seattle Times • Apr. 28, 2023
The winner of this donnybrook will have to face Philadelphia or Atlanta.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 14, 2022
In spite of the pale-blue death rays that shoot out of Godzilla’s mouth, it’s an old-fashioned donnybrook, a brawl that feels more physical than digital.
From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2021
It’s shaping up to be a helluva donnybrook.
From Fox News • Apr. 30, 2020
It should get past Marshall and then have a donnybrook against No. 5 seed West Virginia, which has one of the most underrated players in the country in Jevon Carter.
From Washington Post • Mar. 11, 2018
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
