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:
Egotism reigns in our modern world, and only those brave enough to stand up to it can impede its rule.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
Out in the audience, stars Matt Rife and Christine Ko, other actors, and the crew brave the festivalgoers and try to set up for the perfect multi-angled shots of the entrance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
“Nobody was brave enough to go with Uber stickers because of the backlash from tour guides,” said Migoya, who has worked as a guide for nearly a decade.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Our critic called it “an absorbing ensemble drama by Andrew Stein about the brave new world of technology.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
I think that’s why I was brave enough to say it.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
The Citi Field crowd will surely welcome them warmly—if anyone braves near-freezing temperatures in New York that night to watch them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 20, 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
And Lastest of All: Nomadland Loser: A scrappy woman living in a rolling box braves intermittent cell service on her primitive iPhone 6s in a quest for ink.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 3, 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
Ms. Crowther makes a good case that Monroe’s was a bigger, braver life than the headlines and gossip suggest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026
Former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner - a possible challenger to Sir Keir - said it "must be a wake up call" and the government must be "braver".
From BBC ● Feb. 27, 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
She always felt braver when Percy was with her.
From "The Mark of Athena" by Rick Riordan
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
And she’s the bravest of them all on this night, so to speak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2025
It’s the bravest step, Moore says, because it requires self-compassion.
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 2, 2025
Lynn was the bravest girl in the world.
From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata
Hundreds of fans braved temperatures of around 40C outside T-Mobile Arena for the ceremonial event on Friday evening.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Tens of thousands of people have braved heavy rain as they arrived at the Reading Festival on its first day.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
Earlier, thousands of demonstrators defied a massive police presence and braved wind and rain to gather without incident.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
The Battle of Karbala took place in what is now Iraq, and for the few hundred residents who braved a shaky ceasefire to return to this city, it has never felt closer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
All the same, she braved a run at the border.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Digger enters that room like a gladiator braving the ring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Yet he visited all 24 states, along a circuit of more than 6,000 miles and hundreds of stops, braving terrible storms, bad roads and one shipwreck.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
But either way, there’s no braving this journey alone.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 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
The cold continues and I am braving temperatures of minus fifteen.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
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.
