brazen

[brey-zuhn]

adjective

1. shameless or impudent.

   brazen presumption.

   Synonyms: brassy, defiant, insolent

2. made of brass.

3. like brass, as in sound, color, or strength.

   Synonyms: brassy

verb (used with object)

1. to make brazen or bold.

verb phrase

1. brazen out / through,  to face boldly or shamelessly.

   He prefers to brazen it out rather than admit defeat.

brazen

/ ˈbreɪzən /

adjective

1. shameless and bold

2. made of or resembling brass

3. having a ringing metallic sound like that of a brass trumpet

verb

1. to face and overcome boldly or shamelessly

   the witness brazened out the prosecutor's questions

2. to make (oneself, etc) bold or brash

Other Word Forms

• brazenly adverb
• brazenness noun
• outbrazen verb (used with object)
• unbrazen adjective
• unbrazenness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of brazen¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English brasen (adjective), Old English bræsen “(made) of brass”; brass

Word History and Origins

Origin of brazen¹

Old English bræsen , from bræs _brass

Synonym Study

See bold.

Example Sentences

The brazen attack on the senator has brought back memories of the turbulent decades of the 1980s and 90s in Colombia, when several presidential candidates and influential Colombian figures were assassinated.

From BBC

Mid-decade redistricting does sometimes happen, either at the hands of legislatures or the courts, but not usually in such a brazen fashion.

From Salon

The political redistricting process had long been crafted by elected officials to give their political parties an edge or to protect incumbents — sometimes in brazen, bizarrely shaped districts.

From Los Angeles Times

In the media, she was painted as a "brazen hussy", "one of those saucy females who like to keep a male on a string".

From BBC

That’s impossible when every headline chronicles this administration’s brazen dismantling of democracy.

From Salon

Related Words

• audacious 
• blatant 
• bold 
• impudent 
• shameless 
• unabashed