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Synonyms

brook

1 American  
[brook] / brʊk /

noun

  1. a small, natural stream of fresh water.

brook 2 American  
[brook] / brʊk /

verb (used with object)

  1. to bear; suffer; tolerate.

    I will brook no interference.
    Synonyms:
    stomach, abide, endure, stand, take
Brook 1 British  
/ brʊk /

noun

  1. Peter ( Paul Stephen ). born 1925, British stage and film director, noted esp for his experimental work in the theatre

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
brook 2 British  
/ brʊk /

noun

  1. a natural freshwater stream smaller than a river

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
brook 3 British  
/ brʊk /

verb

  1. (tr; usually used with a negative) to bear; tolerate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • brookable adjective
  • brookless adjective
  • brooklike adjective

Etymology

Origin of brook1

before 900; Middle English; Old English brōc stream; cognate with Dutch broek, German Bruch marsh

Origin of brook2

before 900; Middle English brouken, Old English brūcan; cognate with Dutch bruiken, German brauchen; akin to Gothic brukjan, Latin fruī to enjoy

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.

Four of the offences included discharging higher-than-permitted levels of cyanide into the Manchester Ship Canal, a nearby river and a local brook.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

But because she’s telling the worst men what they want to hear, Stuckey has created space for herself to live out the usually male role of being the pompous bully who will brook no dissent.

From Salon • Dec. 1, 2025

People kept stopping to talk to him, although they mostly made small murmuring noises, like the fake brook that runs through a suburban shopping center.

From Salon • Sep. 14, 2025

“It’s like a movie set,” Bifano said, gesturing to the elegant barn, brook, bridges and all the plants that tie them together.

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2025

All the troubles of the past months seemed to float away with the running of the brook and strength and power to flow into his arms.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli

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.