Word
brawl
US/ˈbɹɔɫ/
UK/bɹˈɔːl/
Definitions
01a noisy fight
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a noisy, rough fight that often involves several people in a public place.
n. a noisy, disorderly fight or physical altercation, typically involving a group of people in a public setting.
日本語:乱闘※
“The peaceful evening ended when a brawl broke out between fans outside the stadium.”
“Security personnel were forced to intervene when a minor disagreement escalated into a full-scale brawl in the hotel lobby.”
02sound of water
C2 · Proficiency Literary
v. the loud, bubbling noise made by a fast stream of water running over rocks.
v. to make a loud, confused, or gurgling noise, specifically used in a literary context to describe a rapid stream flowing over stones.
“We could hear the mountain stream brawl over the rocks in the distance.”
“The poet described how the icy brook would brawl against the jagged stones of the ravine during the spring thaw.”
03historical dance
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Music Archaic
n. an old type of French dance where people move in a circle or a line.
n. An English name for the 'branle', a French choral dance from the 16th century performed in a circle or line.
“The musicians played a lively brawl for the dancers at the Renaissance fair.”
“The courtly entertainment concluded with a traditional brawl, involving all the guests in a rhythmic circular procession.”
Usage
Often spelled 'branle' in modern technical contexts regarding early music.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Greek police are investigating the death of an 82-year-old man after a brawl over a sunlounger at a beach on the Athenian riviera.” “The festival began in 1945 after a street brawl broke out near a vegetable store in the Valencian town of Buñol.” Etymology
The verb is derived from Late Middle English braulen, brall, brallen (“to clamour, to shout; to quarrel; to boast”); further etymology is uncertain, but the word could be related to bray and ultimately imitative. It may be cognate with Danish bralle (“to chatter, jabber”), Dutch brallen (“to boast”), Low German brallen (“to brag”), Middle High German prālen (“to boast, flaunt”) (modern German prahlen (“to boast, flaunt, vaunt”)). The noun is derived from Middle English brall, bralle, braul, braule, brawle (“disturbance, squabble; brawl”), from the verb braulen: see above.
Possibly from French branler (“to shake”), from Old French brandeler (“to shake, wave; to agitate”), from brand, branc (“blade of a sword”), from Vulgar Latin brandus (“firebrand; flaming sword; sword”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰrenu- (“to burn”).
From French branle (“type of dance; an act of shaking, a shake”), from branler (“to shake”), from Old French brandeler (“to shake, wave; to agitate”); see further at etymology 2. Alternatively, the word could be derived from brawl (“(obsolete) to move to and fro, quiver, shake”): see etymology 2.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/brawl
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0