brazen

English

Wikipedia

Alternative forms

• brasen

Etymology

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

Sense was originally literally “of brass”; figurative verb sense "brazen it out" (face impudently) from 1550s, and adjective sense “impudent” from 1570s. Figurative sense perhaps evoking “face unmoving, not showing shame”.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US)

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  Rhymes: -eɪzən

Adjective

brazen (comparative more brazen, superlative most brazen)

1. (archaic) Pertaining to, made of, or resembling brass (in color or strength).
   • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 31.

     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.

   • 1918, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Gods of Mars^[1], edition HTML, The Gutenberg Project, published 2008:

     ... an open sea, its blue waters shimmering beneath the brazen sun.

2. Sounding harsh and loud, like brass cymbals or brass instruments.
3. (archaic) Extremely strong; impenetrable.
4. Shamelessly shocking and offensive; impudent; barefaced; immodest; or unblushing.

   a brazen countenance

Derived terms

• brazen age
• brazen sea

Related terms

• effrontery

Translations

pertaining to, made of, or resembling brass

• Bulgarian: меден (bg) (meden) , бронзов (bg) (bronzov) 
• Czech: mosazný (cs) m
• Dutch: koperachtig (nl)

• French: cuivreux (fr),
• Macedonian: месинган (mk) (mésingan) m
• Russian: бронзовый (ru) (brónzovyj) 

Sounding harsh and loud.

• Dutch: schel (nl)

• French: aigu (fr) m, aigue (fr) f

Extremely strong.

• Dutch: keihard (nl), ondoordringbaar (nl)

• French: dur comme de la pierre (fr), impénétrable (fr)

Impudent, immodest, or shameless

• Dutch: grof (nl), brutaal (nl), schaamteloos (nl)
• Finnish: julkea (fi)
• French: grossier (fr) m, grossière (fr) f, brutal (fr) m, brutale (fr) f, éhonté (fr) m, éhontée (fr) f

• Portuguese: descarado (pt) m
• Russian: бесстыжий (ru) (besstýžij) , наглый (ru) (náglyj) , бессовестный (ru) (bessóvestnyj) 
• Swedish: fräck (sv)

Verb

brazen (third-person singular simple present brazens, present participle brazening, simple past and past participle brazened)

1. (transitive) To carry through in a brazen manner. Generally used with out or through.
   • W. Black.

     Sabina brazened it out before Mrs. Wygram, but inwardly she was resolved to be a good deal more circumspect.

Derived terms

• brazen it out