What does "brave" mean?
A Native American warrior.
Brave
/bɹeɪv/ adj, name, noun, verb
adj, name, noun, verb ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A Native American warrior.
- Grammar: brave is listed as adj, name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: audacious, courageous, intrepid, a man.
- Useful contrasts: afraid, cautious, cowardly.
- Usage evidence: Fortune is the rod of the weak, and the staff of the brave.
How to use "brave"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "brave" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "brave" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "brave" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "brave" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "brave" is acting as adj, name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "audacious" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "brave", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A Native American warrior. dated
- 2 people who are brave wordnet
- 3 A man daring beyond discretion; a bully. obsolete
"Hot Braves, like thee, may fight; but know not well / To manage this, the laſt great Stake of Hell."
- 4 a North American Indian warrior wordnet
- 5 A challenge; a defiance; bravado. obsolete
"Demetrius, thou dost overween in all; / And so in this, to bear me down with braves."
Verb
- 1 To encounter with courage and fortitude, to defy, to provoke. transitive
"For Cassius is aweary of the world; Hated by one he loves; braved by his brother; Checked like a bondman; all his faults observed, Set in a notebook, learned, and conned by rote, To cast into my teeth."
- 2 face and withstand with courage wordnet
- 3 To adorn; to make fine or showy. obsolete, transitive
"Face not me. Thou hast braved many men; brave not me. I will neither be faced nor braved."
Adjective
- 1 Strong in the face of fear; courageous.
"For miſerie doth braueſt mindes abate, / And make them ſeeke for that they wont to ſcorne, / Of fortune and of hope at once forlorne."
- 2 Having any sort of superiority or excellence. obsolete
"Is it not paſſing braue to be a King, And ride in triumph through Perſepolis?"
- 3 Making a fine show or display.
"Their plumed helmes are wrought with beaten golde, Their ſwords enameld, and about their neckes Hangs maſſie chaines of golde downe to the waſte, In euery part exceding braue and rich."
- 4 Foolish or unwise. UK, euphemistic
Adjective
- 1 invulnerable to fear or intimidation wordnet
- 2 possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching wordnet
- 3 brightly colored and showy wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname. countable, uncountable
- 2 A census-designated place in Greene County, Pennsylvania, United States. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Fortune is the rod of the weak, and the staff of the brave."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "brave"?
Common synonyms include: audacious, courageous, intrepid, a man, abide, abide with.
How do you use "brave" in a sentence?
Fortune is the rod of the weak, and the staff of the brave.
How do you pronounce "brave"?
Pronounced /bɹeɪv/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle French brave, borrowed from Italian bravo, itself of uncertain origin (see there). Doublet of bravo.
Etymology 2
From Middle French braver, from brave.