brave

1 of 3

adjective

braver; bravest
1
: having or showing mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty : having or showing courage
a brave soldier
a brave smile
2
: making a fine show : colorful
brave banners flying in the wind
3
: excellent, splendid
… the brave fire I soon had going …J. F. Dobie
bravely adverb

brave

2 of 3

verb

braved; braving

transitive verb

1
: to face or endure with courage
braved the rush-hour traffic to get there
braving the elements
2
obsolete : to make showy

intransitive verb

archaic : to show courage : to make a brave show
braver noun

brave

3 of 3

noun

1
[in part borrowed from French, noun derivative of brave brave entry 1] : one with mental or moral strength to face danger, fear, or difficulty : one who is brave (see brave entry 1)
… none but the brave deserves the fair.John Dryden
specifically : an American Indian warrior
2
archaic : bravado
3
archaic : bully, assassin

Examples of brave in a Sentence

Adjective She gave us a brave smile. He lost his brave fight against the disease. Verb Thousands of fans braved rush-hour traffic to see the concert. a soldier who braved enemy fire to rescue her wounded comrade
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Visit The Swinging Bridge A local landmark in its own right, the Swinging Bridge provides a little small-town thrill for those brave enough to walk across the rickety slats. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 19 Mar. 2024 Whether any of the superpowers are brave enough to take that chance today, though, is a different matter. Rory Smith, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for brave 

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

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Middle French, borrowed from Italian bravo "courageous, wild," perhaps ultimately going back to Latin barbarus barbarous

Verb

borrowed from Middle French braver "to challenge, flout," verbal derivative of brave brave entry 1

Noun

noun derivative of brave entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1616, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1546, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

1590, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of brave was in 1546

Dictionary Entries Near brave

Cite this Entry

“Brave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brave. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

brave

1 of 3 adjective
1
: feeling or displaying no fear : courageous
2
: making a fine show : splendid
brave banners flying in the wind
bravely adverb

brave

2 of 3 verb
braved; braving
: to face or bear with courage
pioneers who braved the dangers of the frontier

brave

3 of 3 noun
: one who is brave
especially : a North American Indian warrior

More from Merriam-Webster on brave

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