brandish

C2 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˈbɹændɪʃ/ See IPA manual

Freq #64853

Meanings

1

verb
To wave or swing something, especially a weapon, in a threatening or excited way.

He brandished his sword at the pirates.
2

verb
To show something off boldly so that everyone notices it.

She brandished her award in front of her rivals.
3

noun
The act of waving or flourishing something.

With a dramatic brandish of his hat, he greeted the crowd.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to wave or swing something,... wave flourish

3 noun · the act of waving or... flourish

Word family

Forms brandishedbrandishesbrandishing

Derived forms brandisherbrandishment

Related forms assault

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

brandish a weapon
to wave or display a weapon in a threatening or aggressive manner

Verb + noun

Etymology

From Middle English braundischen, from Old French brandiss-, stem of brandir (“to flourish a sword”), from Frankish *brandijan, from Frankish *brand (“firebrand; sword”), from Proto-Germanic *brandaz (“fire; flame; sword”), whence Old English brand (“firebrand; torch”); equivalent to brand + -ish. More at brand.

braundischen Middle English *brandijan frk *brand frk *brandaz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# brandish

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈbɹændɪʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 64853

## Meanings
1. To wave or swing something, especially a weapon, in a threatening or excited way.
2. To show something off boldly so that everyone notices it.
3. The act of waving or flourishing something.

## Examples
- He brandished his sword at the pirates.
- She brandished her award in front of her rivals.
- With a dramatic brandish of his hat, he greeted the crowd.

## Synonyms
- flourish
- wave

## Derived Forms
- brandisher
- brandishment

## Related Forms
- assault

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: braundischen
- Root: *brandijan
- Root: *brand
- Root: *brandaz

## Etymology
From Middle English braundischen, from Old French brandiss-, stem of brandir (“to flourish a sword”), from Frankish *brandijan, from Frankish *brand (“firebrand; sword”), from Proto-Germanic *brandaz (“fire; flame; sword”), whence Old English brand (“firebrand; torch”); equivalent to brand + -ish. More at brand.

## AI Etymology
Brandish is from Middle English braundischen, from Old French brandiss-, stem of brandir (“to flourish a sword”), from Frankish *brandijan, from Frankish *brand (“firebrand; sword”), from Proto-Germanic *brandaz (“fire; flame; sword”), whence Old English brand (“firebrand; torch”); equivalent to brand + -ish. More at brand. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern form is built from the named base and affix. Important recorded forms include braundischen (Middle English), *brandijan (frk), *brand (frk), and *brandaz (Proto-Germanic). Current senses include to wave or swing something, especially a weapon, in a threatening or excited way and to show something off boldly so that everyone notices it. The wider family includes derived forms such as brandisher and brandishment; related words such as assault.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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