brash

American  

[brash] / bræʃ /

adjective

brasher, brashest

1. impertinent; impudent; tactless.

   a brash young man.

2. hasty; rash; impetuous.

   Synonyms:

   precipitate, foolhardy, imprudent, overhasty, reckless

   Antonyms:

   careful, prudent, wary, cautious

3. energetic or highly spirited, especially in an irreverent way; zesty.

   a brash new musical.

4. (used especially of wood) brittle.

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noun

1. a pile or stack of loose fragments or debris, as of rocks or hedge clippings.

2. brash ice.

3. Pathology. heartburn.

4. Scot. and North England Dialect.

   1. a sudden shower or burst of rain.

   2. any sudden, minor sickness or indisposition, especially of the digestive tract.

   3. an assault; attack.

brash ¹ British  

/ bræʃ /

adjective

1. tastelessly or offensively loud, showy, or bold

2. hasty; rash

3. impudent

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brash ² British  

/ bræʃ /

noun

1. loose rubbish, such as broken rock, hedge clippings, etc; debris

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brash ³ British  

/ bræʃ /

noun

1. pathol another name for heartburn

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Other Word Forms

• brashly
  adverb
• brashness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of brash

First recorded in 1400–50; (noun) late Middle English brass(c)he “a slap, crash,” perhaps blend of brok(e) ( Old English broc “breach, fragment, sickness”; akin to break ) and dasch “smashing blow”; see dash ¹; (adjective) in the sense “brittle” is derivative of the noun; in the sense “hasty” by confusion with rash ¹

Explanation

Brash sounds like what it means: harsh, loud, and maybe a little rude. Sometimes that’s good, like when you have a serious rash on your face and give Aunt Nell a brash warning before she showers you with kisses. There's nothing warm and fuzzy about brash. New Yorkers are sometimes thought of as the poster children for brash behavior: they can be bold and brazen. Pushy even. You might find brashness offensive, or maybe you think it's refreshingly direct. If you're a cab driver, a tough exterior might be useful, but being brash probably won’t advance your career if you work in a hotel, where you’re supposed to be polite and welcoming.

Example Sentences

Brash does not consider himself an influencer, because he is guided by professional medical standards, rather than clicks, to call out "misinformation".

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

Alex Brash:, external Played 375 league games for Forfar Athletic and also featured for Raith Rovers.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2025

Brash and outspoken at times, she has a large following on social media and previously reported for Vice News and NPR before going freelance.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 28, 2025

It came after she finished second to Labour's Jonathan Brash in the 2024 General Election.

From BBC • Aug. 7, 2025

Brash skyscrapers, towering high above the city’s busy markets and railroads, made almost anything seem possible.

From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield

Related Words

• bold
• brazen
• cheeky
• cocky
• rude