brash

American  

[brash] / bræʃ /

adjective

• brasher,
  comparative
• brashest
  superlative

1. impertinent; impudent; tactless.

   a brash young man.

2. hasty; rash; impetuous.

   Synonyms:

   precipitate, foolhardy, imprudent, overhasty, reckless

   Antonyms:

   careful, prudent, wary, cautious

3. energetic or highly spirited, especially in an irreverent way; zesty.

   a brash new musical.

4. (used especially of wood) brittle.

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noun

1. a pile or stack of loose fragments or debris, as of rocks or hedge clippings.

2. brash ice.

3. Pathology. heartburn.

4. Scot. and North England Dialect.

   1. a sudden shower or burst of rain.

   2. any sudden, minor sickness or indisposition, especially of the digestive tract.

   3. an assault; attack.

brash ¹ British  

/ bræʃ /

adjective

1. tastelessly or offensively loud, showy, or bold

2. hasty; rash

3. impudent

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brash ² British  

/ bræʃ /

noun

1. loose rubbish, such as broken rock, hedge clippings, etc; debris

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brash ³ British  

/ bræʃ /

noun

1. pathol another name for heartburn

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• brashness
  noun
• brashly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Adjectives

• brasher
  comparative
• brashest
  superlative

Etymology

Origin of brash

First recorded in 1400–50; (noun) late Middle English brass(c)he “a slap, crash,” perhaps blend of brok(e) ( Old English broc “breach, fragment, sickness”; akin to break ) and dasch “smashing blow”; see dash ¹; (adjective) in the sense “brittle” is derivative of the noun; in the sense “hasty” by confusion with rash ¹

Explanation

Brash sounds like what it means: harsh, loud, and maybe a little rude. Sometimes that’s good, like when you have a serious rash on your face and give Aunt Nell a brash warning before she showers you with kisses. There's nothing warm and fuzzy about brash. New Yorkers are sometimes thought of as the poster children for brash behavior: they can be bold and brazen. Pushy even. You might find brashness offensive, or maybe you think it's refreshingly direct. If you're a cab driver, a tough exterior might be useful, but being brash probably won’t advance your career if you work in a hotel, where you’re supposed to be polite and welcoming.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

brash brasher brashest

James Lowe’s brash conducting matched the production’s onslaught.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

Brewdog's brash marketing style had regularly sparked controversy, but the firm also faced criticism for its treatment of investors and staff.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

Brunson’s not brash or noisy in the way the city is—he’s quite the opposite, humble and quiet—but there’s a relentlessness to him, almost a fever.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

Rollins, reflecting on his nearly seven-decade career in the 2016 interview with AFP, said he had perhaps been too brash with the legends around him.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

Even the sternest teachers and the brash older girls with whom you hardly dared to speak smiled at you in a special, knowing way your whole birthday long.

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

The American college game is known for being brasher and noisier than the professional ranks, with Fery showing he could thrive in a rambunctious atmosphere.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

But if, two years after ChatGPT’s debut, Apple’s biggest rollouts fall into the same PR nightmares that its brasher rivals are still overcoming, what does that say about Big Tech’s biggest bet?

From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2024

But recent months have showed a shift away from the brasher campaigning.

From Reuters ● Jul. 7, 2023

If Ebb, with his brasher, needier personality, would have eaten up the honor, Kander seems at best to withstand it, embarrassed by too much attention or praise.

From New York Times ● Apr. 4, 2023

It was an institution for girls near my house, and the young ladies were faster, brasher, meaner and more prejudiced than any I had met at Lafayette County Training School.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou

The planet’s brashest sport had arrived at what is putatively “The People’s House” to deliver a night of branded mayhem to the head of state, like gladiators bequeathed to an emperor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026

But the brashest experiments in cut-rate flying might subside for years, given shortages of pilots, airport slots, and just about everything else they depend upon.

From Barron's ● May 8, 2026

As a pro wrestler, Drew McIntyre is one of WWE's biggest and brashest villains.

From BBC ● Jan. 31, 2025

Friends and colleagues are still trying to make sense of Finke, the entertainment industry’s brashest chronicler.

From New York Times ● Jan. 23, 2023

Having appeared at three Ryder Cups, where he has been one of the brashest characters on the American team, Reed’s decision could see him ineligible for selection in the future.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 11, 2022

Related Words

• bold
• brazen
• cheeky
• cocky
• rude