bracing
Americanadjective
-
strengthening; invigorating.
This mountain air is bracing.
-
of, relating to, or serving as a brace.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bracing
First recorded in 1475–85; brace + -ing 1 for the noun senses; brace + -ing 2 for the adjective senses
Explanation
Anything bracing is brisk and refreshing. A Mainer might consider a January swim in the Atlantic Ocean to be bracing, while her Floridian best friend may think she's crazy. You probably enjoy the bracing sea air when you're on a sailboat, or the bracing hike you take up the side of a mountain. In both cases, you're filled with energy and feel fortified by the experience. The adjective bracing comes from the verb brace and its figurative meaning, "to strengthen or comfort."
Vocabulary lists containing bracing
Wintry Words
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"The Witches" by Roald Dahl, Chapters 1–5
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Scythe
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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.
Investors aren’t bracing for some shocking development that would cause a market swoon, but they’re unusually concerned about some specific stocks and sectors, according to Citadel Securities strategist Scott Rubner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Mr. Simms, a historian at the University of Cambridge, is no sentimentalist, and the tone of his book emanates a bracing realism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's official wedding plans are tightly under wraps, but New York is bracing to host the celebrity marriage of the year this week at Madison Square Garden.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Some western regions in France are now bracing for huge thunderstorms from Thursday afternoon onwards.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
I fell, dropping to my knees, bracing my hands against the tile, trying to keep from being sick all over myself and the floor.
From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken
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.
