brandish

[bran-dish]

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verb (used with object)

to shake or wave, as a weapon; flourish: Brandishing his sword, he rode into battle.

noun

a flourish or waving, as of a weapon.

Origin of brandish

1275–1325; Middle English bra(u)ndisshen < Anglo-French, Middle French brandiss- (long stem of brandir, derivative of brand sword < Gmc). See brand, -ish²

Related formsbran·dish·er, noun

Synonyms for brandish

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1. swing, flaunt, wield, display.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for brandish

flash, wield, exhibit, disport, raise, show, expose, shake, warn, swing, threaten, sport, display, gesture, parade

Examples from the Web for brandish

Contemporary Examples of brandish

Those who do nothing to end the slaughter are as complicit as those who brandish their weapons.
The Coalition of the Unwilling
Christopher Dickey
September 7, 2013
It does not give you license to brandish a gun and wave it around.
American Gun Law 5
David Frum
December 18, 2012
Both Cameron and Sarkozy will now brandish their cojones, claiming to have had “a good war.”
Libya War’s Unsung Heroes
Clive Irving
August 22, 2011
As with his Harvard degree, Obama did not hesitate to brandish his pretty white wife with the Boston accent.
The Tragic Life of Barack Obama’s Father
Sally H. Jacobs
July 10, 2011

Historical Examples of brandish

I began to shout and to brandish my arms in a terrible manner.
Mauprat
George Sand
Why brandish in that hand of thine a javelin of pointed steel?
The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories
Mark Twain
What is your stick good for that you brandish it so proudly?
Sagas from the Far East
Various
This the ape at once laid hold of, and began to brandish like a hammer.
Animal Intelligence
George J. Romanes
Fricker had his lesson to give and his scourge to brandish too.
The Intrusions of Peggy
Anthony Hope

British Dictionary definitions for brandish

brandish

verb (tr)

to wave or flourish (a weapon) in a triumphant, threatening, or ostentatious way

noun

a threatening or defiant flourish

Derived Formsbrandisher, noun

Word Origin for brandish

C14: from Old French brandir, from brand sword, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German brant weapon

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for brandish

mid-14c., from Old French brandiss-, present participle stem of brandir "to flourish (a sword)" (12c.), from brant "blade of a sword, prow of a ship," of Frankish origin (see brand (n.)). Related: Brandished; brandishing.