brawl
Americannoun
-
brawls
plural
-
an angry, rough, noisy fight, especially one engaged in under the influence of alcohol.
The wild, free-for-all western brawl in the saloon lasts two full minutes and constitutes the movie’s opening scene.
-
Slang. a large, noisy party.
-
Obsolete. a bubbling or roaring noise; a clamor.
verb (used without object)
-
brawls,
present (3rd person singular)
-
brawled,
past participle, past
-
brawling
present participle
noun
-
a loud disagreement or fight
-
slang an uproarious party
verb
-
to quarrel or fight noisily; squabble
-
(esp of water) to flow noisily
noun
Usage
What does brawl mean? A brawl is a fight, especially a big one involving a lot of people. Brawl can also be used as a verb meaning to fight or to participate in a brawl. A person who does this or who’s known for fighting in general can be called a brawler. Much less commonly, brawl can also be used as a slang term for a wild party. Other rare senses of brawl include its use as a noun referring to a loud, bubbling noise, like water flowing in a stream, or as a verb meaning to make such a noise. Example: Police are investigating the post-concert brawl that left three people in the hospital.
Synonym Usage
See disorder.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
brawlsimple
-
brawlssimple
-
have brawledperfect
-
has brawledperfect
-
am brawlingprogressive
-
are brawlingprogressive
-
is brawlingprogressive
-
have been brawlingperfect progressive
-
has been brawlingperfect progressive
Past
-
brawledsimple
-
had brawledperfect
-
was brawlingprogressive
-
were brawlingprogressive
-
had been brawlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of brawl
First recorded in 1350–1400; (verb) Middle English brawlen, brallen “to raise a clamor, quarrel, boast”; of uncertain origin; (noun) Middle English braule, brall, derivative of the verb
Explanation
A brawl is a noisy fight in a crowd. If the food fight in the cafeteria gets seriously out of hand, you might find yourself in an all-out brawl. Brawl can also be used as a verb—people who are fighting can be said to be brawling, whether or not they are using their fists. Similarly, you can use the word to suggest that a war of words is rough, in the manner of a bar fight—the bride and her mother were engaged in a brawl over the guest list for the big day.
Vocabulary lists containing brawl
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "B"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
A rep for Combs also did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the alleged brawl.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the tournament final, in a foul-heavy match that ended with a brawl on the pitch and the Argentine squad turning its back during the trophy ceremony.
From Barron's ● Jul. 26, 2026
The situation has burst into a brawl involving the city’s most powerful.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
Then he got in another brawl, was imprisoned in Fort St. Angelo, escaped, and was formally expelled by the Order—the recorded language is “like a rotten and fetid limb.”
From Slate ● Jun. 6, 2026
His mother would have been amused about meat being a stolen good, and even by her funeral ending up a brawl about stolen meat.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
She is impressed that even the fiercest brawls on the field typically give way to laughter and handshakes at the conclusion of the match.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2025
After the teen told a female officer about the two coordinated brawls, he was transferred to solitary confinement, the suit alleged.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2025
"They're very good people. We can't even begin to imagine how this could happen. They are not people who get embroiled in brawls," says a man who lives a few doors down their street.
From BBC ● May 12, 2024
She rolls with a posse that’s 30-strong, uses warthogs like DoorDash for her tick snacks between brawls, and has a cousin who catches birds with his butt cheeks.
From Salon ● Apr. 15, 2024
Drawing from sources as diverse as aikido and barroom brawls, the instructors taught us ways to tangle with an attacking or resisting inmate that you weren’t likely to see in, say, a John Wayne movie.
From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover
They’d given everyone a taste of their border feud last year with the NHL’s Four Nations tournament, where they’d brawled and battled before Canada finally settled it on the ice.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 22, 2026
This isn’t the first time Whole Foods’ parent company has brawled aggressively with organized labor.
From Slate ● Feb. 18, 2025
The speaker said his guests for the State of the Union would also include New York City police officers who brawled with migrants in Time Square.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
Leaving the field moments later, both sides were so incensed they nearly brawled.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2023
From the first day I could remember being alive, he and I had brawled.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
According to legend, it took rough and rugged characters to tame the early American frontier: men like Daniel Boone, the trailblazer, or Mike Fink, the brawling river boatman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
Despite rancorous relations between Taiwan’s ruling DPP and the opposition – they were brawling in parliament last week – the Chinese drills have brought all the parties together.
From BBC ● May 23, 2024
Copyright Act, to reclaim the rights for his 1986 screenplay, “Roadhouse,” which spawned the original movie and this year’s reboot, in which Gyllenhaal portrays an ex-UFC fighter who struggles to leave his brawling days behind.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
He’s a fairly even-keeled, calm-sounding guy, which makes him a helpful spokesperson to an organization that has big bearded dudes going out fighting and brawling.
From Slate ● Sep. 13, 2023
Well, at least they’re not brawling over my bed.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
