adjective
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shameless and bold
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made of or resembling brass
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having a ringing metallic sound like that of a brass trumpet
verb
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to face and overcome boldly or shamelessly
the witness brazened out the prosecutor's questions
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to make (oneself, etc) bold or brash
Synonym Usage
See bold.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of brazen
First recorded before 1000; Middle English brasen (adjective), Old English bræsen “(made) of brass”; see brass
Explanation
With brazen disregard for the sign that said "No Cellphones," the woman took a long call in the dentist's waiting room, irritating the other patients. Brazen describes something shocking or something that's done shamelessly. The Middle English word was brasen, "made of brass," from Old English bræs, "brass." In its literal sense, this word can mean "made of or resembling brass," as in a brazen drinking cup from a medieval castle. It can also mean overly or disrespectfully bold. A near synonym of brazen is our English word brassy, which has the additional meaning of being loud and showy.
Vocabulary lists containing brazen
100 Top "SAT" Words
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Advanced English Words
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Grade 11, List 2
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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.
Detectives investigating the "brazen heist" of more than 70,000 pints of Guinness have released footage of two men they want to speak to.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Industry leaders and lobbyists from Houston and Midland, Texas, to Washington say they were blindsided by President Trump’s brazen push into Venezuela, which is home to some of the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Even the most brazen birthday girl would have trouble doubling down on your paying for the whole meal.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 2, 2026
I watched the livestream and read Rosen’s brazen tweets upon leaving the courtroom.
From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026
But the brazen claim that slavery must be accepted unconditionally as a permanent feature of the national confederation was, if not wholly new, at least an interpretive clarification never made before in a national forum.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
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.
