Bracing

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˈbɹeɪsɪŋ/

Definitions

1. Offering firm support or reinforcement to strengthen something ; having a refreshing or invigorating effect, especially on the mind or body
2. Serving to stiffen or stabilize a structure or object ; creating a feeling of renewed energy or vitality
3. Giving strength and firmness to a framework or system ; causing a sensation of freshness and revitalization

Etymology: "Bracing" is simply the adjective form of "brace" with the suffix "-ing" added. The verb "brace" goes back to Old French "brace," meaning the two arms, from Latin "bracchia," plural of "bracchium," arm. The original image is physical: to brace something was to tighten or stiffen it, as a person braces against a blow, and the sense of a structural support or strut grew from the same idea of holding something firm. The adjective shifted from that literal firmness to two figurative senses. A bracing framework or system is one that gives strength and rigidity to what it supports. A bracing wind or drink is one that sharpens the body, leaving it fresh and alert, as if the cold or the tonic had tightened every muscle at once. Both uses keep the core notion of tension and firmness, applied first to structures and then to the feelings of the body.

Synonyms: invigorating, refreshing, stimulating, rejuvenating, exhilarating

Antonyms: draining, tiring, wearying, debilitating, enervating