What does brawling mean?
'Brawling' refers to noisy, uncontrolled quarrelling or fighting, most often breaking out among several people in a public setting such as a tavern, street, or sporting event. It functions both as a noun — 'the brawling was finally stopped by police' — and as the present participle of the verb 'brawl', describing the act itself: 'they were arrested for brawling outside the pub.' The word carries strongly negative connotations, suggesting drunkenness, disorder, and a lack of restraint rather than a serious or honourable conflict; a brawl is chaotic and ugly where a duel might be formal. Common collocations include 'drunken brawling' and 'street brawling', reflecting its frequent association with alcohol-fuelled public disturbance. An older, largely poetic sense describes the loud, rushing sound of flowing water, as in a 'brawling brook'. Derived forms include 'brawler', for a person who habitually fights this way. The word remains useful precisely because it conveys both noise and physical violence at once.
A noisy, rough quarrel or fight, especially one occurring in a public place.
"The referee was injured when he tried to intervene in the brawling on the touchline."
Often used in police reports and journalism to describe public disturbances.
Engaging in a noisy quarrel or physical fight; the present participle of 'brawl'.
"The two men were charged with brawling in the street after closing time."
Rarely used; the uncountable singular form is far more common when referring to the general activity of quarrelling.
"The court records listed numerous brawlings reported in the district over the years."
Before it meant a fistfight, 'brawl' may have entered English from a Dutch word meaning simply 'to boast' — so a brawling match arguably began as a bragging contest gone wrong.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brawling
'Brawling' derives from the verb 'brawl', which appeared in English in the late Middle English period, likely borrowed from a Low German source such as Middle Dutch 'brallen', meaning to shout or boast. The sense developed from loud clamouring into physical, noisy quarrelling by the early modern period. Its ultimate origins may be partly imitative of shouting sounds, which makes precise cognates across languages difficult to establish with certainty.
Related word forms
How brawling is actually used
The noun sense often appears in legal or journalistic contexts describing public disturbances. The word carries distinctly negative connotations of disorder and lack of self-control. In literary usage, 'brawling' can also describe the loud rushing sound of water, as in 'the brawling brook' — an older, now chiefly poetic sense.
Easily confused with brawling
'Bralling' is not a standard English word; the correct spelling is 'brawling', from the verb 'brawl'.
Despite the similar spelling, 'crawling' means moving slowly on hands and knees, while 'brawling' means fighting noisily.