brackish

American  

[brak-ish] / ˈbræk ɪʃ /

adjective

1. somewhat salty or briny, as the water in an estuary or salt marsh, which is not as salty as the sea but saltier than a river.

   These brackish swamps are some of the state’s most important ecosystems.

2. distasteful; unpleasant.

   The coffee was brackish and stale.

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brackish British  

/ ˈbrækɪʃ /

adjective

1. (of water) slightly briny or salty

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brackish Scientific  

/ brăk′ĭsh /

1. Containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water. Brackish water is somewhat salty.

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Other Word Forms

• brackishness noun

Etymology

Origin of brackish

First recorded in 1550–60; from Dutch brak “salty” + -ish ¹ (in the sense “somewhat”)

Explanation

Something that is brackish is unpleasant and harsh, like the coffee you left on too long or the water in a muddy pond. The adjective brackish has roots in the Dutch word brac, meaning salty, and the word is used literally to describe water that is salty. You’ll often find brackish water in areas where salty seawater mixes with freshwater, such as "the brackish water of a Louisiana bayou." The word can be used more generally, however, to describe something that is distasteful and harsh, not just salty. When used in this way you’ll still most likely hear the term applied to liquids, such as a brackish tea that makes you wrinkle your nose when you taste it.

Example Sentences

As freshwater input grew, the seaway gradually changed from salty to brackish and eventually to mostly freshwater, similar to conditions seen today in the Gulf of Bothnia.

From Science Daily • Dec. 15, 2025

Just outside the city, it is pumping brackish groundwater from wells and discharging it into the Nueces River, which flows into a water treatment plant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 12, 2025

Moreover, as I’ve written before, diverting too much freshwater before it gets to the delta to serve downstream farms and urban users allows more brackish water to infiltrate deeper into the delta.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 14, 2025

The brackish, mineral flavors of the oysters are complemented perfectly by the tangy, nutty, earthy artichokes.

From Salon • Nov. 7, 2024

I took a drink from a horse trough and was thirsty enough not to care that the water was brackish and sour.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss