brawl

American  

[brawl] / brɔl /

noun

1. an angry, rough, noisy fight, especially one engaged in under the influence of alcohol.

   The wild, free-for-all western brawl in the saloon lasts two full minutes and constitutes the movie’s opening scene.

   Synonyms:

   tumult, wrangle, rumpus, row, altercation, affray

2. Slang. a large, noisy party.

3. Obsolete. a bubbling or roaring noise; a clamor.

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verb (used without object)

1. to engage in angry, rough, noisy fighting, especially while under the influence of alcohol.

   He found that his hero was little more than a drunken, brawling tramp.

   Synonyms:

   row, bicker, fight, squabble

2. to make a bubbling or roaring noise, as water flowing over a rocky bed.

brawl ¹ British  

/ brɔːl /

noun

1. a loud disagreement or fight

2. slang an uproarious party

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verb

1. to quarrel or fight noisily; squabble

2. (esp of water) to flow noisily

brawl ² British  

/ brɔːl /

noun

1. a dance: the English version of the branle

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Usage

What does brawl mean? A brawl is a fight, especially a big one involving a lot of people. Brawl can also be used as a verb meaning to fight or to participate in a brawl. A person who does this or who’s known for fighting in general can be called a brawler. Much less commonly, brawl can also be used as a slang term for a wild party. Other rare senses of brawl include its use as a noun referring to a loud, bubbling noise, like water flowing in a stream, or as a verb meaning to make such a noise. Example: Police are investigating the post-concert brawl that left three people in the hospital.

Related Words

See disorder.

Other Word Forms

• brawler noun
• brawling noun
• brawly adjective
• outbrawl verb (used with object)
• unbrawling adjective

Etymology

Origin of brawl

First recorded in 1350–1400; (verb) Middle English brawlen, brallen “to raise a clamor, quarrel, boast”; of uncertain origin; (noun) Middle English braule, brall, derivative of the verb

Explanation

A brawl is a noisy fight in a crowd. If the food fight in the cafeteria gets seriously out of hand, you might find yourself in an all-out brawl. Brawl can also be used as a verb—people who are fighting can be said to be brawling, whether or not they are using their fists. Similarly, you can use the word to suggest that a war of words is rough, in the manner of a bar fight—the bride and her mother were engaged in a brawl over the guest list for the big day.

Example Sentences

“Sure, we’re having a bit of a brawl on our side, but people are excited to show up for our candidates because they’re people that actually deliver results for working class people,” Scudder said.

From Salon • Feb. 26, 2026

Staring down the barrel of an escalating brawl with one of the world’s richest and most outspoken figures, many executives of a major public company might choose to defuse tensions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026

The United States, fueled by goals from Gio Reyna and Folarin Balogun, beat Paraguay 2-1 on Saturday in a clash of World Cup-bound teams marred by a stoppage time brawl.

From Barron's • Nov. 16, 2025

Indeed, if Wednesday’s wipe-out win at rollicking Dodger Stadium was any indication, the Dodgers seemed prime for this upcoming brawl, their strongest October fists bared and ready.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 2, 2025

I considered myself beyond the stage of street-fighting, and one of the worst things I could do upon returning to the community was to engage in a brawl.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Related Words

• altercation
• argument
• battle
• bickering
• clash
• dispute
• feud
• fight
• fracas
• free-for-all
• melee
• quarrel
• riot
• ruckus
• scuffle
• squabble
• uproar
• wrangle