Brave

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /bɹeɪv/

Definitions

1. Showing courage and willingness to face danger, fear, or difficult situations without being stopped by them
2. Displaying a strong resolve to confront challenging circumstances or threats despite experiencing fear or anxiety
3. Demonstrating valor by willingly facing risky situations or adversities while overcoming trepidation

Etymology: The adjective "brave" arrived in English from Middle French, and its ancestry runs through Italy. Italian "bravo" originally meant something close to "wild" or "savage," and in Italian it could describe a bold ruffian or a hired killer as readily as a valiant hero. That sense of showy defiance is what the French took up, and it still lingers in the word's relatives: "bravado" comes from the same Italian-Spanish line, and English "bravo" as a shout of approval is a later borrowing from the same source. The surprising twist is that "brave" and "bravo" are doublets, two English forms that descend from one original word by different routes. "Brave" came through French and kept courage as its central idea, while "bravo" came directly from Italian and kept more of its theatrical flavour, which is why it is cried out at the end of a performance rather than applied to a soldier. Italian "bravo" itself has an uncertain origin, so the trail ends there.

Synonyms: courageous, valiant, fearless, daring, intrepid

Antonyms: cowardly, timid, fearful, weak, spineless