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
Related Words
See bold.
Other Word Forms
- brazenly adverb
- brazenness noun
- outbrazen verb (used with object)
- unbrazen adjective
- unbrazenness noun
Etymology
Origin of brazen
First recorded before 1000; Middle English brasen (adjective), Old English bræsen “(made) of brass”; 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.
Federal officials who unsealed the charges Thursday described them as brazen efforts to commit fraud at several facilities across the region.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
It was the most brazen one yet in Maryland.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
On Tuesday, des Cars sent her resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, which was accepted, following a string of scandals including the brazen theft of French crown jewels valued at $100 million in October.
From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026
There is a particular kind of hypocrisy so brazen, so cartoonishly on-the-nose, that it almost defies satire.
From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026
She hasn't got the nerve to stand up and brazen it out.
From "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie
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.
