brave
Americanadjective
noun
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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)
verb (used without object)
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:
“That is not how a justice system is supposed to work. Our country needs more brave leaders like David Huerta to stand up for the wrongs they see around them.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
"Belgium has outstanding players and enormous potential. Together with my coaching staff, we want to build a team that is disciplined, ambitious and brave enough to compete with the very best."
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
But slavery ended not because some brave judge declared it unconstitutional, but because the people’s representatives in Congress passed the 13th Amendment to make it so.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
While this correspondent is reasonably brave behind the wheel of a small, lightweight car—a McLaren, a Mazda Miata—I would struggle to get anything out of the Bentley.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
It’s like real life except more exciting and everyone is so brave.
From "Nim’s Island" by Wendy Orr
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
Pity the poor pedestrian who braves Seattle’s sidewalks.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 15, 2021
He’s a polar explorer who regularly braves the coldest places on the planet — Antarctica, Greenland, the North Pole — where temperatures can reach minus-50.
From Washington Post ● Dec. 6, 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
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
Chen discovers many parallels between X’s history and his own, causing him to contrast his cautious post-Tiananmen behavior with X’s braver choices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
They will start expecting things, beginning with a newer, braver Violet who isn’t afraid of her own shadow.
From "All The Bright Places" by Jennifer Niven
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
“My daughter is the bravest wench in Kyrria.”
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
In Washington on Friday morning, hundreds of people braved sizzling heat to visit the Great American State Fair taking place on the National Mall.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 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
When we meet in April, they’re still recovering from Coachella, where Yang braved horrible foot blisters for Addison Rae and Sabrina Carpenter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 28, 2026
Even after the show began, hundreds of ticketless fans braved the rain to listen to their idols outside the venue.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
He braved a glance at Twig, who was still messing with his hair.
From "The Science of Breakable Things" by Tae Keller
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
Winter Olympians have made livelihoods out of braving the conditions that most of us loathe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 17, 2026
So far, he said his most extreme effort was braving -10C for seven hours, stripped to the waist in hiking boots and running shorts.
From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026
She went up in the mornings to Madame Lebrun’s room, braving the clatter of the old sewing-machine.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
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.
