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Synonyms

brassy

1 American  
[bras-ee, brah-see] / ˈbræs i, ˈbrɑ si /

adjective

brassier, brassiest

  1. made of or covered with brass.

  2. resembling brass, as in color.

  3. harsh and metallic.

    brassy tones.

  4. brazen; bold; loud.

    Synonyms:
    brash, cheeky, forward, saucy, insolent
    Antonyms:
    retiring, shy, modest

  5. noisy; clamorous.

    a big, brassy nightclub.
brassy 2 American  
[bras-ee, brah-see] / ˈbræs i, ˈbrɑ si /

noun

Golf.

plural

brassies

  1. brassie.

brassy British  
/ ˈbrɑːsɪ /

adjective

  1. insolent; brazen

  2. flashy; showy

  3. (of sound) harsh, strident, or resembling the sound of a brass instrument

  4. like brass, esp in colour

  5. decorated with or made of brass

  6. a variant spelling of brassie

"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

  • brassily adverb
  • brassiness noun

Etymology

Origin of brassy

First recorded in 1570–80; brass + -y 1

Explanation

Someone who's brassy is bold and flashy — and maybe even a little rude. That brassy kid in class seems to get all the attention, while their quiet, shy classmates get overlooked. Use the adjective brassy to mean bold and brash, or to describe something that looks like the metal brass (but not in a good way): "He tried to dye his hair strawberry blonde, but it came out brassy." When something sounds brassy, it resembles a trumpet or trombone, or another brass instrument. The "brazen" meaning comes from a comparison of brass to gold; in the 16th century, brassy meant "strident and artificial."

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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.

She was joined in the top 10 by another U.K. singer, Raye, who favors swank Sixties outfits and has a brassy hit called “Where Is My Husband!”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

The star, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, was competing with himself for song and record of the year, as the brassy “Baile Inolvidable” and the mournful “DTMF” were nominated in both categories.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 14, 2025

Talve’s score bobs and weaves accordingly, from big brassy horror to eerie synths to world percussion and a custom-made plastic flute.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 19, 2025

We found room to hail Madison’s brassy breakthrough in “Anora,” while also nodding to the Brazilian veteran Torres and Moore, a Hollywood icon only now doing her best work.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2024

Hidden surround-sound speakers blasted a brassy, heroic fanfare.

From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein

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.