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brassy

brassy

2 5.5
A loud bright sound like a trumpet or trombone
  • adjective
  • /ˈbræsi/
: metálico
  • The brassy blue sky of Provence was a huge dome radiating sunlight and heat.
  • brassy music

And then it says knocks out brassy Canary yellow tones and it is literally bright purple.

Examples

  • The clothes you selected hardly carried a flattering association. "What does it matter?" cried Dordolio in a brassy voice.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • Justin opened the door and stepped from air conditioning and pale fluorescent light into the brassy sun and heat of the San Fernando Valley.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The Salvation Army Band on the street corner blared out its brassy music of hope.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • "I'm from Missouri," he said, running a hand through a clump of short, brassy hair.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • A brassy tune marches up the stairs, twirls, and descends again.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Iadara's sky curved overhead, its brassy blue darkened by altitude, touched here and there by thin wisps of cloud.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • His brown hair was darker around his ears than on top, and in the soft beam from the window, it had a brassy red overlay, a metallic sheen that could only have been the product of a dye.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The marching band played a brassy tune that filled the whole street with its loud, cheerful sound.

  • As the sun set, the brassy tones of the trumpet echoed beautifully through the evening air.

  • The performance featured a brassy melody that made the audience feel excited and alive.

Synonyms

trumpet-like
vsbrassy
1 5.1

Sounds loud and clear like a trumpet

is more general, applying to metal instrument sounds rather than one specific type
brassier
vsbrassy
1 6.8

Having a loud, bright sound like a trumpet or a shiny metal look

is the base quality rather than a comparative form
brasslike
vsbrassy
1 7.4

Sounds or looks bright and metallic like a trumpet

focuses specifically on sound rather than appearance, as loud and metallic

Antonyms

254 1.0

Gentle and not strong for light or sound

30 1.0

Not bright or shiny with weak colour

How Bright

piercing
23 5.5
bright
3 3.8
brassy
2 5.5
clear
54 1.0
dull
21 1.6
muffled
52 3.7

Surface Forms

brassy positive

Morphology

brassy = brass (transparent) = brass + y

The adjective is directly derived from the noun 'brass' meaning the metal/instrument group, so a learner who knows 'brass' can infer a metallic, trumpet-like sound.

Etymology

Brassy comes from brass (the yellow metal) and the ending -y. Think of a trumpet made of brass that gives a loud, bright, metallic sound, so brassy means 'loud', 'bright', and 'metallic'.