brash

American  

[brash] / bræʃ /

adjective

brasher, brashest

1. impertinent; impudent; tactless.

   a brash young man.

2. hasty; rash; impetuous.

   Synonyms:

   precipitate, foolhardy, imprudent, overhasty, reckless

   Antonyms:

   careful, prudent, wary, cautious

3. energetic or highly spirited, especially in an irreverent way; zesty.

   a brash new musical.

4. (used especially of wood) brittle.

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noun

1. a pile or stack of loose fragments or debris, as of rocks or hedge clippings.

2. brash ice.

3. Pathology. heartburn.

4. Scot. and North England Dialect.

   1. a sudden shower or burst of rain.

   2. any sudden, minor sickness or indisposition, especially of the digestive tract.

   3. an assault; attack.

brash ¹ British  

/ bræʃ /

adjective

1. tastelessly or offensively loud, showy, or bold

2. hasty; rash

3. impudent

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brash ² British  

/ bræʃ /

noun

1. loose rubbish, such as broken rock, hedge clippings, etc; debris

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brash ³ British  

/ bræʃ /

noun

1. pathol another name for heartburn

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Other Word Forms

• brashly adverb
• brashness noun

Etymology

Origin of brash

First recorded in 1400–50; (noun) late Middle English brass(c)he “a slap, crash,” perhaps blend of brok(e) ( Old English broc “breach, fragment, sickness”; akin to break ) and dasch “smashing blow”; dash ¹; (adjective) in the sense “brittle” is derivative of the noun; in the sense “hasty” by confusion with rash ¹

Example Sentences

Kilgore from “Apocalypse Now” and two parts Henery Hawk, the short, brash Looney Tunes character that was always trying to capture the much larger Foghorn Leghorn.

From Los Angeles Times

She would just be free and wear glitter on her face and have feathers in her hair and her music was very unapologetically brash and tongue-in-cheek with the lyrics.

From Los Angeles Times

European and Gulf officials said he would sometimes make brash threats and revisit concessions he had appeared to accept, frustrating progress toward an agreement.

From The Wall Street Journal

The sedan is a brash bet that the two old-guard brands can succeed where others have struggled.

From Los Angeles Times

“Days of Ash” is bright and brash and loud.

From Salon

Related Words

• bold
• brazen
• cheeky
• cocky
• rude