brink

[ bringk ]

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.

brink

/ 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

Other Words From

• brinkless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of brink¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of brink¹

C13: from Middle Dutch brinc , of Germanic origin; compare Old Norse brekka slope, Middle Low German brink edge of a field

Example Sentences

Two people, standing either side of a goal net, on the brink of one of the most iconic photos in sport that would change the trajectory of their lives.

From BBC

“Unless Trump personally intervenes, which seems unlikely, it appears the two nations are on the brink of a much more intense nuclear competition with far-reaching implications for international stability.”

From BBC

There, he had gained a reputation as a turnaround artist by saving the school from the brink of extinction.

From New York Times

The big-hitting all-rounder took 16 from an Alzarri Joseph over to put the tourists on the brink and although he holed out with four needed, England got over the line with four balls to spare.

From BBC

Jackson Women's Health Organization which led to more abortion bans across the country, abortion funds have been pushed to the brink.

From Salon

Related Words

• fringe
• periphery
• threshold
• verge