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Synonyms

brushed

American  
[bruhsht] / brʌʃt /

adjective

  1. having a nap raised or a surface produced by a brushing process.

    brushed cotton.
brushed British  
/ brʌʃt /

adjective

  1. textiles treated with a brushing process to raise the nap and give a softer, warmer finish

    brushed nylon
"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

Etymology

Origin of brushed

late Middle English word dating back to 1425–75; see origin at brush 1, -ed 2

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.

“You’re gonna round us all up in one spot that’s where you want us,” one man said as he brushed past the line.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

“They sort of brushed it off, like water off the back of a duck.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 3, 2026

But back in 2021, Gradel felt brushed off by the museum authorities.

From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026

Bernard Arnault, chief executive of the world's biggest luxury conglomerate LVMH, brushed off speculation of his retirement on Thursday, telling shareholders that "we'll talk about all this again in seven to eight years".

From Barron's • Apr. 23, 2026

“The truth is always best,” she concluded as she quickly assembled clean clothes for the children and brushed the dust off her one and only hat.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

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.