brinier; briniest
: of, relating to, or resembling brine or the sea : salty
brininess noun

Examples of briny in a Sentence

oysters with a briny flavor
Recent Examples on the Web Thinly sliced unripe papaya is muddled with briny crab and topped with crunchy pork rinds for this extra funky take on the classic Thai salad. The Arizona Republic, 15 Feb. 2024 Photographed here with a drone at sunrise, the lake bed gets its pinkish color from microalgae that produce pink compounds called carotenoids as a stress response in briny environments. Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 8 Feb. 2024 Jaafar Al Oraibi hints at this by incorporating actual salt into a black-and-white drawing of a briny lake. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 With bodies covered in water-repellent hair, these insects are able to plunge below the surface of briny bodies of water thanks to a layer of air trapped by their all-natural sweater vests. Jason Bittel, Travel, 22 Jan. 2024 Brighter, milder, and more vegetal than black pepper, it is commonly used in Thai curries, and gives a classic French steak au poivre its briny bite. Antara Sinha, Bon Appétit, 7 Jan. 2024 If that’s the case, pop open tins of briny anchovies, sardines or mussels for an effortless way to make it to seven fishes. Dan Pelosi, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2023 The sweetness of corn is balanced by a briny kick of cooked shrimp, the richness of heavy cream, an oniony bite from chives, and baby red potatoes to thicken the broth. Paige Grandjean, Southern Living, 20 Nov. 2023 Many said the housing units are cramped and squalid, with cockroaches scuttling across the floor and a briny water supply that caused rashes. Anna Schecter, NBC News, 10 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'briny.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1581, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of briny was in 1581

Dictionary Entries Near briny

Cite this Entry

“Briny.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/briny. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

briny

adjective
brinier; briniest
: of, relating to, or resembling salt water : salty
brininess noun

More from Merriam-Webster on briny

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!