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 Web
Jodie Cook, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The game's protagonist is as brave and strong as the original, yes, but much more chipper, with a quip, joke or pun for almost every interaction.
—Felecia Wellington Radel, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024
On that afternoon in May, protesters in many cities across Europe braved wet weather.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 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 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Your next breakthrough starts with one brave move today.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
The game's protagonist is as brave and strong as the original, yes, but much more chipper, with a quip, joke or pun for almost every interaction.
—Felecia Wellington Radel, USA TODAY, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
Thursday's rally in Clarkston attracted tens of thousands of people who braved the late afternoon sun and heat — and Atlanta traffic — to snag a seat.
—Thomas Wheatley, Axios, 25 Oct. 2024
On that afternoon in May, protesters in many cities across Europe braved wet weather.
—Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 4 Nov. 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
Dictionary Entries Near brave
Cite this Entry
“Brave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brave. Accessed 1 Dec. 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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