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brawl

[ brawl ]
/ brɔl /
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See synonyms for: brawl / brawling / brawler on Thesaurus.com
noun
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)
to engage in angry, rough, noisy fighting, especially while under the influence of alcohol: He found that his hero was little more than a drunken, brawling tramp.
to make a bubbling or roaring noise, as water flowing over a rocky bed.
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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

synonym study for brawl

1. See disorder.

OTHER WORDS FROM brawl

brawl·er, nounbrawl·y, adjectiveout·brawl, verb (used with object)un·brawl·ing, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to brawl

altercation, argument, battle, bickering, clash, dispute, feud, fight, fracas, free-for-all, melee, quarrel, riot, ruckus, scuffle, squabble, uproar, wrangle, tussle, affray

How to use brawl in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for brawl (1 of 2)

brawl1
/ (brɔːl) /
noun
a loud disagreement or fight
US slang an uproarious party
verb (intr)
to quarrel or fight noisily; squabble
(esp of water) to flow noisily

Derived forms of brawl

brawler, nounbrawling, noun, adjective

Word Origin for brawl

C14: probably related to Dutch brallen to boast, behave aggressively

British Dictionary definitions for brawl (2 of 2)

brawl2
/ (brɔːl) /
noun
a dance: the English version of the branle
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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