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.

---

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

---

brash ² British  

/ bræʃ /

noun

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

---

brash ³ British  

/ bræʃ /

noun

1. pathol another name for heartburn

---

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

A brash risk taker, Turner -- whose death aged 87 was announced on Wednesday -- helped reshape the television industry in the late 20th century.

From Barron's • May 6, 2026

If Monaco, Monza and Spa-Francorchamps were the circuits that defined F1 heritage—the heartlands of European motor racing—Miami has come to embody the sport’s brash American future.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

The shifting promises are unsurprising to colleagues familiar with the brash, quick-tempered Gorka, a gate crasher in Washington’s buttoned-up defense establishment.

From Salon • Apr. 22, 2026

After a brief pause and a side-eye, Caroline joins in the laughter - a reminder that, however brash or independent she seems, family still sits at the centre of it all.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Rutherford, however, compensated with his own blustery good will: “He’s a brash young man,” he told Oliphant after Lawrence departed, “but he’ll learn!”

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• bold
• brazen
• cheeky
• cocky
• rude