brazen

1 of 2

adjective

bra·​zen ˈbrā-zᵊn 

1

: made of brass

drinking from brazen cups

2

a

: sounding harsh and loud like struck brass

the horrible brazen voice of the fire bell

—Elmer Davis

b

: of the color of polished brass

3

: marked by shameless or disrespectful boldness

a brazen disregard for the rules

brazenly adverb

brazenness

ˈbrā-zᵊn-(n)əs 

noun

brazen

2 of 2

verb

brazened; brazening

ˈbrāz-niŋ,

ˈbrā-zᵊn-iŋ 

transitive verb

: to face with defiance or impudence

—usually used in the phrase brazen it out

Synonyms

Adjective

• arch
• audacious
• bold
• bold-faced
• brash
• brassbound
• brassy
• brazen-faced
• cheeky
• cocksure
• cocky
• fresh
• impertinent
• impudent
• insolent
• nervy
• sassy
• saucy
• wise

Verb

• beard
• brave
• breast
• confront
• dare
• defy
• face
• outbrave
• outface

Examples of brazen in a Sentence

Adjective

He exhibited a brazen disregard for other people's feelings.

a brazen demand for special treatment just because she's rich

Verb

a filmmaker willing to brazen the criticism that such a violent film was sure to provoke

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

In Biden’s tenure, U.S. adversaries have grown increasingly brazen in their provocations and ramped up cooperation with each other. —Kori Schake, Foreign Affairs, 8 Nov. 2024

The rise of brazen, unlicensed marijuana sellers is a relatively new phenomenon, probably driven in part by growing public acceptance of marijuana and the relatively easy access to pot being cultivated for legal sale in dozens of states. —Lavanya Ramanathan, Vox, 4 Nov. 2024

Lyle and Erik Menendez’s bold, brazen actions both before and after their life sentences kept the media fixated. —Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024

Garcia lamented the fact that the fast-food establishment’s name has become attached to the notorious alley that runs behind restaurant property and draws a shockingly brazen level of drug activity day and night. —Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective and Verb

Middle English brasen, from Old English bræsen, from bræs brass

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1555, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing brazen

• brazen-faced
• brazen it out

Kids Definition

brazen

1 of 2 adjective

bra·​zen ˈbrāz-ᵊn 

1

: made of brass

2

: sounding harsh and loud like struck brass

3

: not ashamed of or embarrassed by one's bad behavior : impudent

4

: of the color of polished brass

brazenly adverb

brazenness

ˈbrāz-ᵊn-(n)əs 

noun

brazen

2 of 2 verb

brazened; brazening ˈbrāz-niŋ 

-ᵊn-iŋ

: to face boldly or defiantly

an enemy who'd rather brazen it out than surrender