adjective
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shameless and bold
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made of or resembling brass
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having a ringing metallic sound like that of a brass trumpet
verb
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to face and overcome boldly or shamelessly
the witness brazened out the prosecutor's questions
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to make (oneself, etc) bold or brash
Synonym Usage
See bold.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of brazen
First recorded before 1000; Middle English brasen (adjective), Old English bræsen “(made) of brass”; see brass
Explanation
With brazen disregard for the sign that said "No Cellphones," the woman took a long call in the dentist's waiting room, irritating the other patients. Brazen describes something shocking or something that's done shamelessly. The Middle English word was brasen, "made of brass," from Old English bræs, "brass." In its literal sense, this word can mean "made of or resembling brass," as in a brazen drinking cup from a medieval castle. It can also mean overly or disrespectfully bold. A near synonym of brazen is our English word brassy, which has the additional meaning of being loud and showy.
Vocabulary lists containing brazen
100 Top "SAT" Words
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Advanced English Words
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Grade 11, List 2
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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.
Now, museums and cultural spaces are battling a bigger problem: Brazen art thieves.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
Brazen shoplifting incidents and smash-and-grabs have been reported at swanky retail stores across the nation, most notably in California over the holiday shopping season.
From Fox News • Feb. 6, 2022
Kushner’s current negotiations with Saudi Arabia, reported earlier by the website Project Brazen, are continuing, the four people familiar with the matter said; but no deal has been announced.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 26, 2021
A couple days later, she and a friend enjoyed an Irish meal donated by her favorite restaurant, Brazen Head.
From Washington Times • May 23, 2020
It took six Brazen Beasts to pull them apart and drag them from the hall.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
