brazen

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brazen

/ˈbɹeɪ̯zən/
[ˈbɹeɪzn̩]
/ˈbɹæ̝ɪ̯zən/ Australia
[ˈbɹæ̝ɪzn̩] Australia

Rhymes with -eɪzən

Where it comes from

From Middle English brasen, from Old English bræsen (“brazen, of brass”); equivalent to brass + -en (compare golden, wooden, etc.).

The word originally meant “of brass”; the figurative verb sense (as in brazen it out (“face impudently”)) dates from the 1550s (perhaps evoking the sense “face like brass, unmoving and not showing shame”), and the adjective sense “impudent” from the 1570s. Compare brass neck, bold as brass.

adjective more brazen · brazener · most brazen · brazenest · brasen

archaic Made of brass. Brazen or rather copper swords seem to have been next introduced; these in process of time, workmen learned to harden by the addition of some other metal or mineral, which rendered them almost equal in temper to iron.
figuratively Brass-like in appearance or character; bright, ruddy, hard. The women, stout, strong, brazen-faced creatures, in most cases looked able to thrash any of the partners with whom they consorted.
Sounding harsh and loud, like brass cymbals or brass instruments. And now the Trumpets terribly from far, / With rattling Clangor, rouze the sleepy War. / The Souldiers Shouts succeed the Brazen Sounds, / And Heav'n, from Pole to Pole, the Noise rebounds.
archaic Extremely strong; impenetrable; resolute. The giant [Goliath] was thus conquered by the youth [David]; the man-at-arms by the unarmed; the stone of the shepherd pierced the brazen defences of the warrior.
Shameless or impudent; shocking or audacious; brash. She was brazen enough to deny stealing the handbag even though she was caught on camera doing so.

verb brazens · brazening · brazened · brasen

intransitive To turn a brass color. [...] the meadows roughen, grow gutteral / with goldenrod, milkweed's late-summer lilac, / cat-tails, the wild lily brazening, / dooryards overflowing in late, rough-headed bloom: [...]
transitive Generally followed by out or through: to carry through in a brazen manner; to act boldly despite embarrassment, risk, etc. And though the word doth eat up all they can ſay, as Moſes rod did: yet they harden their hearts with Pharaoh, they brazen their brows with him in the text, that ſaid I will not: Nay ſaid the Iſraelites, but we will have a King. [Commentary on Matthew 21:29.]

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: brassy, bodacious, audacious, insolent, bold-faced, barefaced, brazen-faced, unashamed, snotty, bold, glaring, violent, outright, adventurous, blatant, daring

Translations

Every language

adj pertaining to, made of, or resembling brass

Français	cuivreux
Deutsch	messingen, aus Messing, Messing-
Italiano	ottone, ottonato
Русский	латунный latunnyj

adj sounding harsh and loud

Français	aigu
Deutsch	metallisch, metallen, blechern
Italiano	squillante

adj extremely strong

Français	dur comme de la pierre, impénétrable
Deutsch	ehern, widerstandsfähig, undurchdringlich, stark

adj impudent, immodest, or shameless

Español	descarado
Português	descarado
Français	brutal, éhonté, grossier
Deutsch	dreist, schamlos, frech, unverschämt, unverfroren
Italiano	faccia di bronzo, sfacciato, sfrontato
Русский	бессты́жий besstýžij, на́глый náglyj, бессо́вестный bessóvestnyj, де́рзкий dérzkij

verb to act [boldly] despite [embarrassment]

Deutsch	sich durchsetzen, poltern, mutig durchstehen, großspurig handeln
Italiano	ignorare sfacciatamente

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Cite this

MLA

"brazen." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/brazen. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

APA

brazen. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/brazen

Chicago

"brazen." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/brazen.

BibTeX

@misc{brazen_2026,
  title = {brazen},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/brazen},
  urldate = {2026-11-05}
}