What does broached mean?
"Broached" is the past tense of "broach," a verb with two principal meanings. Its dominant modern sense is figurative: to broach a subject is to introduce it into conversation for the first time, particularly when the matter is awkward, sensitive, or has been deliberately avoided. One might broach the topic of money, divorce, or a colleague's mistakes. The word's literal, older sense is physical: to broach a cask or barrel means to pierce it so its contents can be drawn out, a practice familiar from centuries of wine and ale storage. This concrete image explains the metaphor — raising a hidden subject is like tapping a sealed vessel and letting what's inside flow out. The verb carries no inherent formality, though it often signals tact and delicacy on the speaker's part. It should not be confused with the identically pronounced noun "brooch," a decorative pin, though the two words share distant ancestry. "Broached" remains a versatile, widely understood term in both British and American English.
verbPast tense and past participle of "broach": to raise a difficult or sensitive subject for the first time in conversation; also, to pierce or open a container such as a cask or keg.
- To raise a sensitive or difficult topic for discussion for the first time.
- To pierce or tap a container, especially a cask or barrel, to draw off its contents.
- (Of food, dated) To begin eating.
"She finally broached the subject of a salary increase during the quarterly review."
"No one wanted to be the first to broach the delicate question of who would pay for the repairs."
"The innkeeper broached a fresh cask of ale as the evening crowd gathered."
The word for opening an awkward conversation literally comes from the act of tapping a keg — you're spilling something that was sealed away.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of broached
"Broach" derives from Old French "brochier," meaning to pierce with a pointed instrument, ultimately from Latin "brocca," a spike or pointed tool. The original sense referred to piercing casks to draw out wine or ale, attested in Middle English by the late medieval period; the figurative sense of introducing a new subject developed later, by the sixteenth century. Cognates include the French-derived "brooch," which split off to name a decorative pin, and "broker," originally one who dealt in wine tapped from casks.
Related word forms
How broached is actually used
Most common in conversational and journalistic English when introducing an uncomfortable or previously unmentioned matter. The cask-piercing sense is older and now largely confined to historical or literary contexts.
Easily confused with broached
"Broach" is a verb meaning to raise a subject or pierce a cask (or a noun for a piercing tool), while "brooch" is a noun meaning a decorative pin fastened to clothing.