brink

American  

[bringk] / brɪŋk /

noun

1. the edge or margin of a steep place or of land bordering water.

2. any extreme edge; verge.

3. a crucial or critical point, especially of a situation or state beyond which success or catastrophe occurs.

   We were on the brink of war.

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brink British  

/ brɪŋk /

noun

1. the edge, border, or verge of a steep place

   the brink of the precipice

2. the highest point; top

   the sun fell below the brink of the hill

3. the land at the edge of a body of water

4. the verge of an event or state

   the brink of disaster

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Other Word Forms

• brinkless adjective

Etymology

Origin of brink

1250–1300; Middle English brink < Old Norse ( Danish ) brink, cognate with MLG brink edge, hillside, Old Norse brekka slope, hill

Example Sentences

What emerges is not an economy on the brink but one that is increasingly uneven and, in the view of many bankers, growing more fragile beneath the surface.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

“If you insult your allies and push them to the brink in every negotiation, if you present your ugliest face to the world, then this consent will evaporate,” Fullilove said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

A year ago today, Liverpool fans were still basking in the glow of a Merseyside derby win that took them to the brink of the Premier League title.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

But that strategy has dramatically backfired, propelling the aging franchise closer to the brink of the point of no return.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

Gollum crawled along close to the brink for a little way, snuffling and suspicious.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

Related Words

• fringe
• periphery
• threshold
• verge