What does outbraving mean?
Outbraving means to show greater courage than someone else or to face something frightening with remarkable confidence. The word often suggests an individual or group acting beyond ordinary expectations of bravery: a sailor outbraving a storm, a competitor outbraving a rival, or a person outbraving fear. In its second sense, it can describe overcoming a dangerous or intimidating situation through courage rather than merely surviving it. The expression has a dramatic, slightly old-fashioned quality and is more common in formal writing, historical narrative, and literary description than in casual conversation. Because out- adds the idea of surpassing or going beyond, outbraving implies exceptional daring, whereas simply braving an ordeal suggests meeting it courageously. The word is especially evocative in contexts involving storms, warfare, extreme challenges, or personal fear.
verb (present participle)To surpass someone in bravery or show greater courage than another person. It can also mean to brave something successfully, with the sense of overcoming it through courage.
- To surpass another person in courage or daring.
- To face and overcome something fearful or dangerous with courage.
"The sailors outbraved the fierce storm and reached shore before dawn."
"The young climber outbraved her rivals by attempting the sheer north face in winter."
"By remaining calm during the emergency, she seemed to outbrave even the seasoned officers."
To outbrave something is not merely to resist it: it is to meet it with more courage than it expects.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does outbraving come from?
Outbraving was formed in English by combining the prefix out-, meaning beyond or to surpass, with brave. The underlying adjective brave comes through Middle English from Old French brave, ultimately associated with bravo, an Italian word meaning brave or bold. The prefixed form has been used in English since the early modern period, originally expressing the idea of surpassing another person in courage and later extending to encountering danger with exceptional resolve.
Related word forms
How outbraving is actually used
This is a literary or dramatic verb with a formal tone. It is less common in everyday speech than brave, and its first-person present forms are outbrave and outbraving, while the third-person singular is outbraves.
Easily confused with outbraving
Outbraving means showing more courage or braving something, whereas outwearing means lasting longer than another person or thing.
Outbraving specifically concerns courage, whereas outdoing can mean surpassing someone in any performance or achievement.