brackish

American  

[brak-ish] / ˈbræk ɪʃ /

adjective

1. somewhat salty or briny, as the water in an estuary or salt marsh, which is not as salty as the sea but saltier than a river.

   These brackish swamps are some of the state’s most important ecosystems.

2. distasteful; unpleasant.

   The coffee was brackish and stale.

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brackish British  

/ ˈbrækɪʃ /

adjective

1. (of water) slightly briny or salty

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brackish Scientific  

/ brăk′ĭsh /

1. Containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water. Brackish water is somewhat salty.

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Other Word Forms

• brackishness noun

Etymology

Origin of brackish

First recorded in 1550–60; from Dutch brak “salty” + -ish ¹ (in the sense “somewhat”)

Example Sentences

Genetic and physical analyses confirmed that the species belongs to the genus Diplolaimelloides, a group typically found in coastal marine and brackish waters.

From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 2026

Just outside the city, it is pumping brackish groundwater from wells and discharging it into the Nueces River, which flows into a water treatment plant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 12, 2025

Homes are crumbling, open drains line the narrow lanes and a stagnant puddle near the local temple has turned brackish.

From BBC • Aug. 10, 2025

The surface is now home to scavengers, soldiers, mutants, and ghouls, all doing their best to survive on spoiled food, brackish water, and whatever’s left in long-abandoned vending machines.

From Salon • May 12, 2025

And I didn’t think about the alligators or the disgusting layer of brackish algae.

From "Paper Towns" by John Green