brink
Americannoun
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the edge or margin of a steep place or of land bordering water.
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any extreme edge; verge.
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a crucial or critical point, especially of a situation or state beyond which success or catastrophe occurs.
We were on the brink of war.
noun
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the edge, border, or verge of a steep place
the brink of the precipice
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the highest point; top
the sun fell below the brink of the hill
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the land at the edge of a body of water
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the verge of an event or state
the brink of disaster
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
Explanation
The brink of something is the very edge of it. If you want to give your mom a good scare, stand on the brink of a steep cliff and slowly lean forward. The noun brink describes the edge of a steep drop-off or slope, or the edge of a boundary marking where something begins, like the brink of a pond. Brink also describes the figurative edge or start of something. Nations on the brink of war are very close to mobilizing troops; if you are on the brink of losing your temper, you might try walking away or slowly counting to ten.
Vocabulary lists containing brink
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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.
Hemorrhaging cash and in bankruptcy court, Spirit Airlines is on the brink of liquidation.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2026
A break of 108 from Zhao, his third century of the match, took him to the brink and he sealed the win in the next frame.
From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026
He said reports that LIV Golf may soon lose its Saudi funding and could be on the brink of collapse "should serve as a warning."
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
It has been 9,113 days since they were relegated - by a 3-2 defeat at Aston Villa on 5 May 2001 - with the Sky Blues then tumbling to the brink.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
“You do too have little children who love you,” she said, on the brink of tears.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
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.
