# brackish

/ˈbɹækɪʃ/ (US) · /bɹˈækɪʃ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/brackish
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. salty water

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describes water that is a mix of fresh water and sea water, making it slightly salty.

For teachers: containing a mixture of seawater and fresh water; having a salinity level between 0.5 and 30 grams of salt per litre.

- The river becomes brackish near the coast where it meets the ocean.
- Mangrove trees have evolved specialized root systems that allow them to thrive in the brackish conditions of tropical estuaries.

Usage: Usually describes water in nature, such as in marshes, lagoons, or estuaries.

### 2. unpleasant taste

adjective · CEFR C2 · Literary

having an unpleasant or slightly salty taste that you do not like.

For teachers: distasteful or unpalatable, often due to a salty or stagnant quality.

- The old well provided only brackish water that was difficult to drink.
- He grimaced at the brackish tea, which had been brewed with water from a poorly maintained cistern.

Teaching tip: This sense is less common than the scientific one and is mostly found in older literature or descriptions of poor living conditions.

## Examples

- The fish in the brackish water are different from those in the ocean.
- The local ecosystem is adapted to brackish conditions, where the salinity changes with the tides.
- As the river delta expands into the bay, the water becomes increasingly brackish, supporting a unique blend of freshwater and marine species that thrive in the transitional environment.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.