brassy
1 Americannoun
plural
brassiesadjective
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insolent; brazen
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flashy; showy
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(of sound) harsh, strident, or resembling the sound of a brass instrument
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like brass, esp in colour
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decorated with or made of brass
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a variant spelling of brassie
Other Word Forms
- brassily adverb
- brassiness noun
Etymology
Origin of brassy
Explanation
Someone who's brassy is bold and flashy — and maybe even a little rude. That brassy kid in class seems to get all the attention, while their quiet, shy classmates get overlooked. Use the adjective brassy to mean bold and brash, or to describe something that looks like the metal brass (but not in a good way): "He tried to dye his hair strawberry blonde, but it came out brassy." When something sounds brassy, it resembles a trumpet or trombone, or another brass instrument. The "brazen" meaning comes from a comparison of brass to gold; in the 16th century, brassy meant "strident and artificial."
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.
She was joined in the top 10 by another U.K. singer, Raye, who favors swank Sixties outfits and has a brassy hit called “Where Is My Husband!”
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026
The star, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was competing with himself for song and record of the year, as the brassy “Baile Inolvidable” and the mournful “DTMF” were nominated in both categories.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025
He does think her reported response — “for what?” — sounds just like his brassy little sister.
From Los Angeles Times • May 7, 2025
As the Woodstone mansion’s resident Prohibition-era jazz singer, Pinnock drew inspiration from the likes of Ma Rainey and Bessie Smith for the overt confidence of her brassy, flamboyant character.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 4, 2024
Hildy came along in a mud-colored brown suit and a black sailor skewered on to her ratted brassy pompadour with an evil-looking hatpin.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
