Skip to content
word of the day

The word for today is…

brandish (verb) – To wave or flourish (something, often a weapon) in a menacing, defiant, or excited way.

Source : The Free Dictionary

Etymology : Often when we encounter the word brandish in print, it is soon 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 derives, via brandiss- (a stem of the Anglo-French brandir), from brant, braund, 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), you are in effect waving it in someone’s face so that it cannot be overlooked.

Latest