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
bravely
adverb
braved; braving
1
: to face or endure with courage
braved the rush-hour traffic to get there
braving the elements
2
obsolete
: to make showy
archaic
: to show courage : to make a brave show
braver
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
John Dryden
specifically
: an American Indian warrior
2
archaic
: bravado
Synonyms
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 WebAlex Badia, WWD, 25 June 2024
For her own part, Chang feels less brave than compelled to do something with her fears.
—Catherine Wagley, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2024
John Bacon, USA TODAY, 25 June 2024
About 50 mourners braved triple-digit heat and gathered outside the pharmacy Monday to remember McKinzy at the site of his death.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2024
Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 1 June 2024
Today, with inflation running near 100 percent and an economy that could grind to a halt given a structural lack of hard currency, optimism is reserved for the brave.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2022
See all Example Sentences for brave 
Adjective
Yes, sure there are a lot of influencers dressed by brands outside major shows, but the interest lies on those brave folks that push boundaries and do their own thing.
—Alex Badia, WWD, 25 June 2024
For her own part, Chang feels less brave than compelled to do something with her fears.
—Catherine Wagley, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2024
Verb
Many of their residents will have to brave the frigid weather without heat after power in some areas was knocked out by a weekend storm and the harsh weather hindered restoration efforts.
—John Bacon, USA TODAY, 25 June 2024
About 50 mourners braved triple-digit heat and gathered outside the pharmacy Monday to remember McKinzy at the site of his death.
—Ilana Arougheti, Kansas City Star, 25 June 2024
Noun
Still, Marler braves on; he’s got his team to watch.
—Justice Delos Santos, The Mercury News, 1 June 2024
Today, with inflation running near 100 percent and an economy that could grind to a halt given a structural lack of hard currency, optimism is reserved for the brave.
—Agustino Fontevecchia, Forbes, 27 Dec. 2022
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.
Dictionary Entries Near brave
Cite this Entry
“Brave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brave. Accessed 30 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brave
1 of 3 adjective1
: 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 warrior of an Indigenous people of North America
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