Brave

/breɪv/

adjectiveBeginnerVery CommonGeneral

Definitions

1

Ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage.

/breɪv/

adjectivepositiveBeginner
General

Showing courage in the face of danger or adversity.

The firefighters were brave in the face of the raging inferno.

💡 Simply: Not afraid.

More Examples

2

She showed a brave spirit despite her illness.

How It's Used

Military

"The brave soldier rescued his comrades from the burning building."

Everyday Life

"It was brave of her to speak up against injustice."

Idioms & expressions

as brave as a lion

Extremely brave.

"He was as brave as a lion facing the angry mob."

From Old French *braf, *brave, meaning "fine, splendid," ultimately of Germanic origin.

Historically, 'brave' has also been used to mean 'fine' or 'splendid,' though this usage is now largely obsolete.

Memory tip

Think of a 'brave' knight facing a dragon.

Base: brave
bravbreave

Usage

70%Spoken
30%Written