bracing
adj. C1 Advanced US //ˈbɹeɪsɪŋ// UK //bɹˈeɪsɪŋ// brac·ing
adj. fresh and full of energy. You use this to describe something cold or sharp that makes you feel more awake and healthy.
adj. imparting a feeling of vigor or freshness; physically or mentally stimulating. Often used to describe cold weather, sea air, or a blunt but helpful piece of criticism.
The bracing sea air woke us up immediately.
After hours in the stuffy office, a bracing walk in the winter wind felt wonderful.
The professor provided a bracing critique of the student's thesis, stripping away the unnecessary jargon to reveal the core flaws in the argument.
By surface analysis, brace + -ing.
Usage
Typically used as an attributive adjective before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'be' or 'feel'.