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

McNulty believes heavy rainfall over the weekend and brackish water conditions could have created a "perfect storm environment" for Sunday's attack.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

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

Both a freshwater and brackish species, the golden mussel can tolerate wide ranges in salinity, temperature and pH levels, and cantravel much farther than people might think.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2024

He greeted us in turn, nosing us for a pat, then splashed into the shallows and slurped at the brackish water.

From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly