Brassy
/ˈbræsi/noun
Resembling brass in color or sound, or boldly showy and impudent.
Did you know?The figurative sense of “brass” as boldness or impudence helped “brassy” evolve beyond color and sound into a description of conspicuously confident behavior.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
Old English
bræs
“Brass, the yellowish copper alloy”
Middle English
Middle English
bras
“Brass or a brass-colored metal”
14th Century
Middle English
brassen
“Made of brass or resembling brass”
16th Century
English
brass
“Brass; later also figuratively boldness or impudence”
19th Century
English
brassy
“Brass-colored, brass-like, or having a harsh metallic quality”
Modern English
English
brassy
“Brass-colored, harsh-sounding, or boldly showy and impudent”