brave
Americanadjective
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braver,
comparative
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bravest
superlative
noun
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braves
plural
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(used with a plural verb) the brave. courageous people, collectively.
the land of the free and the home of the brave.
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Sometimes Offensive. a warrior, especially among North American Indian tribes.
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Obsolete.
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a bully.
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a boast or challenge.
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verb (used with object)
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braves,
present (3rd person singular)
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braved,
past participle, past
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braving
present participle
verb (used without object)
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braves,
present (3rd person singular)
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braved,
past participle, past
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braving
present participle
adjective
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having or displaying courage, resolution, or daring; not cowardly or timid
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( as collective noun preceded by the )
the brave
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fine; splendid
a brave sight
a brave attempt
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archaic excellent or admirable
noun
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a warrior of a Native American tribe
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an obsolete word for bully 1
verb
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to dare or defy
to brave the odds
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to confront with resolution or courage
to brave the storm
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obsolete to make splendid, esp in dress
Sensitive Note
See powwow.
Synonym Usage
Brave, courageous, valiant, fearless, gallant refer to confident bearing in the face of difficulties or dangers. Brave is the most comprehensive: it is especially used of that confident fortitude or daring that actively faces and endures anything threatening. Courageous implies a higher or nobler kind of bravery, especially as resulting from an inborn quality of mind or spirit that faces or endures perils or difficulties without fear and even with enthusiasm. Valiant implies a correspondence between an inner courageousness and external deeds, particularly of physical strength or endurance. Fearless implies unflinching spirit and coolness in the face of danger. Gallant implies a chivalrous, impetuous, or dashing bravery.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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bravenessnoun
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braverynoun
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overbravenessnoun
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superbravenessnoun
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unbravenessnoun
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overbraveadjective
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quasi-braveadjective
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superbraveadjective
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unbraveadjective
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unbravedadjective
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bravelyadverb
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overbravelyadverb
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quasi-bravelyadverb
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superbravelyadverb
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unbravelyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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bravesimple
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bravessimple
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have bravedperfect
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has bravedperfect
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am bravingprogressive
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are bravingprogressive
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is bravingprogressive
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have been bravingperfect progressive
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has been bravingperfect progressive
Past
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bravedsimple
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had bravedperfect
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was bravingprogressive
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were bravingprogressive
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had been bravingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of brave
First recorded in 1475–85; from Middle French, from Spanish bravo, either from Italian or directly from unattested Vulgar Latin brabus for Latin barbarus barbarous
Explanation
Courageous, dauntless, perhaps a little bit daring, a person who is brave faces dangerous or difficult situations with courage. The adjective brave can be used to describe anyone or anything that displays courage, such as a brave firefighter, a brave guide dog, or even brave holiday shoppers. In addition to its adjective form, the word brave can also act as a verb. Use the verb brave when you want to say that someone is facing a dangerous or unpleasant situation courageously: “Only the hardiest skiers were able to brave the icy conditions and complete the course.” Both adjective and verb forms of the word share a common meaning — the sense of having courage or acting fearlessly.
Vocabulary lists containing brave
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 1
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Native American History - Introductory
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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.
See Examples For:
The legacy of Hayden Panettiere should not be defined by her tragic death at 36, but by her brave attempt to help millions of women.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
It’s not only gripping, but extremely intricate if you’re brave enough to get on its level.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
“We are in a brave new world of breathtakingly high prices and costs,” Johnson said.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Svitlana maintains a brave smile throughout our conversation, but her distress is painfully obvious.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
The kids in her books did fun things, brave things, magical things.
From "Ida B" by Katherine Hannigan
That’s when she braves the sport’s gnarliest crashes to master tricks so dangerous that her opponents won’t even dare to attempt them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 11, 2026
Hansi Flick's - predominantly - young braves were confirmed as La Liga champions with a 2-0 win at Espanyol on Thursday, having already won the Copa del Rey in April.
From BBC ● May 15, 2025
A mysterious man falls to earth in a meteor, Galadriel braves a sea monster and a young Elrond and Durin spar and then make peace with the help of Durin’s terrific wife Issa.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2022
Pity the poor pedestrian who braves Seattle’s sidewalks.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 15, 2021
Muhammad braves that one pretty well against the reds from Michigan, the yellows from Ohio, the purples from Minnesota, the oranges from Iowa, and the greens from Indiana.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
She added: "Inside your work, you're braver because you have your colleagues around to support you."
From BBC ● Jun. 20, 2026
That’s what makes Pope Leo’s stance against a modern-day Babylon even braver.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
"If we want to make the change we were sent into government to make, we have to be braver," the Manchester MP added.
From Barron's ● Feb. 27, 2026
As usual, they are much braver when their names aren’t attached to their opinions.
From Salon ● Jan. 23, 2026
It is a braver act than sliding down the zip line.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Joshua's comeback against Prenga was one of the bravest performances of his career but it also highlighted familiar vulnerabilities.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
He is the loudest possible proof that you do not need a gun to be the bravest man on the hill.
From Salon ● Jul. 15, 2026
And when our best and bravest citizens are pushed to obey orders that they sense are wrong, the injury is compounded.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
It’s the bravest step, Moore says, because it requires self-compassion.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 2, 2025
And then she spoke the most powerful and exhausting, the bravest, most exasperating and galvanic sentence in the human language.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Mwiche Nalupumbwe, 26, was among hundreds who braved the morning chill to queue at polling stations well before they opened.
From BBC ● Aug. 13, 2026
Some people have braved the high temperatures to tidy up the mess in their houses from the quake and put workplaces back in order.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
Further west in the US, millions of Americans already braved the heat.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Outflanked by cruel and fickle gods at every turn, legendary Greek hero Odysseus outsmarted a one-eyed giant, suffered through the bewitching Sirens’ song and braved the Underworld’s dead denizens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
Euron had even braved the Smoking Sea and lived to tell of it.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
She goes from wanting to be a trophy wife with nothing to do, to braving a world that isn’t built for her, dressing and acting like she already has a seat at the table.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
"Most people have this image of an intrepid explorer braving an isolated mountain or some other remote place, and stumbling across a creature that no one has ever seen before," Chan said.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 9, 2026
On a cold February afternoon in Manchester, queues of concert-goers are braving the elements outside Co-op Live, Europe's largest indoor arena.
From BBC ● Feb. 20, 2026
Access to the repair site required braving the water current and swimming through a narrow tunnel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 15, 2026
Mr. Ferro’s machinists crowded around, braving the bitter wind.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
