brash

[brash]

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.

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

/ bræʃ /

adjective

1. tastelessly or offensively loud, showy, or bold

2. hasty; rash

3. impudent

brash

²

/ bræʃ /

noun

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

brash

³

/ bræʃ /

noun

1. pathol another name for heartburn

Other Word Forms

• brashly adverb
• brashness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of brash¹

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”; dash ¹; (adjective) in the sense “brittle” is derivative of the noun; in the sense “hasty” by confusion with rash ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of brash¹

C19: perhaps influenced by _rash ¹

Origin of brash²

C18: of unknown origin

Origin of brash³

C16: perhaps of imitative origin

Example Sentences

Vitello earned a reputation as a brash, fiery leader with unmatched people skills whose teams toed the line between confident and cocky.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The All-Stars do their brash, spectacular thing, and a lot of that is wailing away, although they could also be mysterious.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Even the sternest teachers and the brash older girls with whom you hardly dared to speak smiled at you in a special, knowing way your whole birthday long.

Read more on Literature

Saudi Arabia’s brash young man in a hurry is poised to become a mature monarch on a mission.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

This new Angie is as impetuous, brash, willful and secretive as the original.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bold 
• brazen 
• cheeky 
• cocky 
• rude