bracing
Americanadjective
-
strengthening; invigorating.
This mountain air is bracing.
-
of, relating to, or serving as a brace.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bracing
First recorded in 1475–85; brace + -ing 1 for the noun senses; brace + -ing 2 for the adjective senses
Explanation
Anything bracing is brisk and refreshing. A Mainer might consider a January swim in the Atlantic Ocean to be bracing, while her Floridian best friend may think she's crazy. You probably enjoy the bracing sea air when you're on a sailboat, or the bracing hike you take up the side of a mountain. In both cases, you're filled with energy and feel fortified by the experience. The adjective bracing comes from the verb brace and its figurative meaning, "to strengthen or comfort."
Vocabulary lists containing bracing
Wintry Words
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"The Witches" by Roald Dahl, Chapters 1–5
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Scythe
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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.
Bracing revivals of Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park With George” and “A Little Night Music” were launched at the Chocolate Factory before transferring to the West End and eventually making their way to Broadway.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2024
Bracing for more violence around Bastille Day, when unrest tends to spike every year, France’s government deployed an exceptional 130,000 police Thursday and Friday.
From Washington Times • Jul. 14, 2023
Bracing for a major policy shift, BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, on Monday downgraded their Japanese equity exposure to underweight.
From Reuters • Feb. 13, 2023
Bracing for more turmoil, Biden is dispatching his national security adviser to Israel in mid-January in a bid to forestall potentially deepening rifts between his administration and its top Mideast partner.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 6, 2023
Bracing himself with a deep breath and a prayer, he strode toward their table.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
