brawl
[ brawl ]
/ brɔl /
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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.
QUIZ
THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?
Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.
Question 1 of 7
In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…
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, adjectiveDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
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, adjectiveWord 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
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