brawl
Americannoun
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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.
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Slang. a large, noisy party.
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Obsolete. a bubbling or roaring noise; a clamor.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a loud disagreement or fight
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slang an uproarious party
verb
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to quarrel or fight noisily; squabble
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(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.
Related Words
See disorder.
Other Word Forms
- brawler noun
- brawling noun
- brawly adjective
- outbrawl verb (used with object)
- unbrawling adjective
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
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.
That is a sentiment that might surprise some voters in the UK, but the Taiwanese Parliament has had a reputation for brawling, with punches - and on one occasion pig guts - being thrown.
From BBC
Moments later, the footage jumps to passengers brawling in terminals and shouting at flight attendants before Duffy appears on screen urging travelers to bring bygone civility back to air travel.
From Los Angeles Times
Despite our public persona of being dysfunctional and brawling, we were quite quiet in the rehearsal space.
From Los Angeles Times
Greg Norman knows life would have been simpler if he hadn’t willingly placed himself at the center of the bare-knuckle brawl that plunged professional golf into chaos.
They’re staring stoic holes into me from the wall, seething as if they had gotten into a brawl beforehand and were forced to take a picture with one another afterward.
From Literature
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.
