brandish

1 of 2

verb

bran·dish ˈbran-dish How to pronounce brandish (audio)

brandished; brandishing; brandishes

transitive verb

: to shake or wave (something, such as a weapon) menacingly

brandished a knife at them

: to exhibit in an ostentatious or aggressive manner

brandishing her intellect

brandish

2 of 2

noun

: an act or instance of waving something menacingly or exhibiting something ostentatiously or aggressively : an act or instance of brandishing

Did you know?

Often when we encounter the word brandish in print, it is followed by a word for a weapon, such as knife or handgun. That’s appropriate given the word’s etymology: it is a descendant of the Middle English braundisshen, which comes from the Anglo-French brant or braund, a word of Germanic origin meaning “sword.” Nowadays you can brandish things other than weapons, however. The figurative usage of brandish rose alongside its earliest literal usage in the 14th century. When you brandish something that isn’t a weapon (such as a sign or a letter), you are in effect waving it in someone’s face so that it cannot be overlooked.

Example Sentences

Verb She brandished a stick at the dog. I could see that he was brandishing a knife.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Teens and tweens feverishly brandish their orb-like glow sticks as their parents respectfully applaud.

Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 8 Sep. 2022 The district attorney’s office declined to file felony charges against Lee in the attack on Chappelle because the performer was not injured and Lee did not brandish the weapon, prosecutors said.

James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2022 Travis Barker similarly went sans shirt beneath his sleeveless black blazer—the better to brandish his generous tattoos.

Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, 4 Apr. 2022 The White House is enlisting popular dating apps to encourage Americans to brandish their vaccination status in exchange for a better shot at love.

Bloomberg.com, 20 May 2021 In New York, hundreds gathered in Times Square to brandish the Ukrainian flag, while protesters in D.C. mobilized in front of the Russian Embassy.

Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2022 In other words, the Kremlin leader got to brandish his nukes.

Nathan Hodge, CNN, 19 Feb. 2022 The majority of officers never brandish their guns and even fewer fire them in the line of duty, according to Gold.

Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 17 Feb. 2022 For the first five episodes, Thomas has been depicted as a quiet man who knows just the right time to share a pearl of wisdom — or brandish his gun.

Lynette Rice, EW.com, 30 Jan. 2022 See More

brandish

verb

as in to wave

to put into view in a threatening or excited manner She brandished a stick at the dog. brandished a petition signed by hundreds of town residents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

wave
announce
advertise
produce
proclaim
flaunt
unveil
exhibit
post
expose
display
flourish
air
flash
herald
strut
publicize
placard
parade
trumpet
broadcast
show
show off
sport
divulge
reveal
disport
lay out
bare
blaze
sound
discover
unmask
uncover
uncloak
tell (of)
talk (about)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

disguise
mask
conceal
camouflage
hide
cover
obscure
occlude
veil
curtain
enshroud
occult
shroud

Synonym Chooser

Some common synonyms of brandish are flourish, swing, thrash, and wave. While all these words mean "to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down," brandish implies threatening or menacing motion.

brandishing a knife

The synonyms flourish and brandish are sometimes interchangeable, but flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement.

flourished the winning lottery ticket

The meanings of swing and brandish largely overlap; however, swing implies regular or uniform movement.

swing the rope back and forth

The words thrash and brandish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement.

an infant thrashing his arms about

While in some cases nearly identical to brandish, wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion.

waving the flag

单词	brandish
释义	brandish 1 of 2 verb bran·dish ˈbran-dish brandished; brandishing; brandishes transitive verb 1 : to shake or wave (something, such as a weapon) menacingly brandished a knife at them 2 : to exhibit in an ostentatious or aggressive manner brandishing her intellect brandish 2 of 2 noun : an act or instance of waving something menacingly or exhibiting something ostentatiously or aggressively : an act or instance of brandishing Did you know? Often when we encounter the word brandish in print, it is followed by a word for a weapon, such as knife or handgun. That’s appropriate given the word’s etymology: it is a descendant of the Middle English braundisshen, which comes from the Anglo-French brant or braund, a word of Germanic origin meaning “sword.” Nowadays you can brandish things other than weapons, however. The figurative usage of brandish rose alongside its earliest literal usage in the 14th century. When you brandish something that isn’t a weapon (such as a sign or a letter), you are in effect waving it in someone’s face so that it cannot be overlooked. Example Sentences Verb She brandished a stick at the dog. I could see that he was brandishing a knife. Recent Examples on the Web Verb Teens and tweens feverishly brandish their orb-like glow sticks as their parents respectfully applaud. Jason Lipshutz, Billboard, 8 Sep. 2022 The district attorney’s office declined to file felony charges against Lee in the attack on Chappelle because the performer was not injured and Lee did not brandish the weapon, prosecutors said. James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2022 Travis Barker similarly went sans shirt beneath his sleeveless black blazer—the better to brandish his generous tattoos. Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, 4 Apr. 2022 The White House is enlisting popular dating apps to encourage Americans to brandish their vaccination status in exchange for a better shot at love. Bloomberg.com, 20 May 2021 In New York, hundreds gathered in Times Square to brandish the Ukrainian flag, while protesters in D.C. mobilized in front of the Russian Embassy. Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2022 In other words, the Kremlin leader got to brandish his nukes. Nathan Hodge, CNN, 19 Feb. 2022 The majority of officers never brandish their guns and even fewer fire them in the line of duty, according to Gold. Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 17 Feb. 2022 For the first five episodes, Thomas has been depicted as a quiet man who knows just the right time to share a pearl of wisdom — or brandish his gun. Lynette Rice, EW.com, 30 Jan. 2022 See More Word History Etymology Verb and Noun Middle English braundisshen, from Anglo-French brandiss-, stem of brandir, from brant, braund sword, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English brand First Known Use Verb 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Noun 1601, in the meaning defined above Kids Definition brandish verb bran·dish ˈbran-dish brandished; brandishing : to wave or shake in a threatening manner brandish verb as in to wave to put into view in a threatening or excited manner She brandished a stick at the dog. brandished a petition signed by hundreds of town residents Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance wave announce advertise produce proclaim flaunt unveil exhibit post expose display flourish air flash herald strut publicize placard parade trumpet broadcast show show off sport divulge reveal disport lay out bare blaze sound discover unmask uncover uncloak tell (of) talk (about) Antonyms & Near Antonyms disguise mask conceal camouflage hide cover obscure occlude veil curtain enshroud occult shroud See More Synonym Chooser Some common synonyms of brandish are flourish, swing, thrash, and wave. While all these words mean "to wield or cause to move to and fro or up and down," brandish implies threatening or menacing motion. brandishing a knife The synonyms flourish and brandish are sometimes interchangeable, but flourish suggests vigorous, ostentatious, graceful movement. flourished the winning lottery ticket The meanings of swing and brandish largely overlap; however, swing implies regular or uniform movement. swing the rope back and forth The words thrash and brandish are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, thrash suggests vigorous, abrupt, violent movement. an infant thrashing his arms about While in some cases nearly identical to brandish, wave usually implies smooth or continuous motion. waving the flag
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brandish

verb

noun

Did you know?

Example Sentences

Word History

Kids Definition

verb

verb

Synonym Chooser