brunette

American  

[broo-net] / bruˈnɛt /

adjective

1. (of hair, eyes, skin, etc.) of a dark color or tone.

2. (of a person) having dark hair and, often, dark eyes and darkish or olive skin.

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noun

1. a person, especially a female, with such coloration.

brunette British  

/ bruːˈnɛt /

noun

1. a girl or woman with dark brown hair

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adjective

1. dark brown

   brunette hair

Other Word Forms

• brunetteness noun

Etymology

Origin of brunette

1705–15; < French; feminine of brunet

Example Sentences

"I am returning to the big ice," the skater from Kazan announced on Telegram earlier this month, her formerly brunette hair now streaked with blonde highlights.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

ChatGPT, perhaps drawing on data showing that there are far more dark-haired people in the world than blondes, decided to make her a brunette.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 6, 2025

The sketch also featured Tina Fey playing Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem with genuinely funny jokes: “I’m the rarest type of person in Washington, D.C.: A brunette that Donald Trump listens to.”

From Salon • Oct. 13, 2025

Inside the car, detectives found a brunette wig and a rubber mask resembling a white male that the law enforcement source said looked realistic enough to be “movie quality.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

All I needed was for the women in the bathroom—led by the Mickey-Mouse-ears wearers, the washroom lady, and the short brunette stewardess—to come out wagging their fingers and telling all.

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia