What does brazened mean?
Brazened is the past tense and past participle of the verb brazen, which means to confront or endure an embarrassing, awkward, or incriminating situation with bold, unapologetic confidence. Rather than confessing, apologising, or retreating, someone who has brazened something out carries on as if nothing is wrong, often bluffing their way through scrutiny. The verb is used almost exclusively in the set phrases 'brazen it out' and 'brazen out', as in 'she brazened out the accusations until the story died down'. The word derives from the adjective brazen, literally meaning made of brass, which came to describe behaviour that is shamelessly bold — brass suggesting a hard, impervious front. Because it describes refusing accountability, brazened carries a distinctly negative connotation and typically signals the speaker's disapproval. It appears more frequently in British English than American English but is widely understood in both varieties.
verbBrazened is the simple past and past participle of the verb 'brazen', meaning to face or deal with a difficult or embarrassing situation with bold, shameless confidence.
- To face or handle an awkward, shameful, or difficult situation with bold impudence rather than admitting fault or backing down (usually in the phrase 'brazen it out').
"She brazened it out when the manager questioned her about the missing report."
"Despite being caught in the lie, he simply brazened it out and refused to apologise."
"The company brazened out the scandal, betting that public attention would soon move on."
When you've been caught red-handed but refuse to blush — that's when you brazen it out.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of brazened
The verb brazen comes from the adjective brazen, meaning 'made of brass', formed from the noun brass plus the adjectival suffix -en, in use by Middle English. By the sixteenth century, 'brazen-faced' was used to describe someone so shameless they seemed to have a face of hard metal, unable to blush. From this figurative sense developed the verb 'to brazen (it) out', meaning to meet shame or accusation with unblushing boldness. The word shares its Germanic root with the noun brass itself.
Related word forms
How brazened is actually used
Almost always used in the fixed phrase 'brazen it out' or 'brazen out'. The verb carries a strongly negative connotation of shamelessness; using it implies disapproval of the subject's behaviour. It is more common in British English than American English, though understood in both.
Easily confused with brazened
'Bronzed' means tanned or having a brownish-gold surface (as from sun exposure), while 'brazened' means facing something with shameless boldness.