Skip to main content
brassy

brassy

5 7.2
Bold and showy in a way people may find rude
  • adjective
  • /ˈbræsi/
  • Offensive
translation icon : descarado
  • The girls tended to be big and brassy, in the pin-up style of the day, with names like Rusty, Pam, or Babs.
  • brassy hair
  • bold and brassy
  • sassy and brassy

I like that I have that brassy bra, bra like the stickers to like lift your boob up and stick it up here.

Examples

  • By 1932, she was on contract with studio giant MGM, usually playing brassy, sharp-tongued women.

    Blog text (5)
  • A part of me considered the earring too big, too bright, and brassy for a man.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Her hair looked cheap and brassy and common to me.

  • But it created a bad effect; she appeared brassy and resentful.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • The subtle caramel highlights that I asked for, though, had turned into crazy brassy blonde streaks.

    Blog text (25)
  • Also, I developed a rather brassy or even brass-knuckled personal style, which tends to be off-putting to harassers.

    Blog text (12)
  • Lindsay saw a woman's brassy head with a fancy hairdo bobbing along above the hedge on the street side.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Perkins, however, saw right through Banish's fire-and-brimstone bluster to a tremendous, brassy ego.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The brassy colors of her outfit caught everyone's attention at the party.

  • He has a brassy attitude that makes him stand out in any crowd.

Synonyms

flashy
vsbrassy
69 4.1

Very bright or showy in a way that attracts attention

carries extra sense of shameless boldness or lack of subtlety
tacky
vsbrassy
  • Informal
68 4.3

Showy in a cheap way that looks bad

pushes beyond cheapness toward shameless attention-seeking boldness or brazenness
loud
vsbrassy
51 1.8

Too bright and showy in a way that looks bad

adds a sense of shameless boldness or plain lack of subtlety in behavior
cheap
vsbrassy
39 5.6

Very showy with bright colors or too many decorations

carries more sense of shameless boldness and open impertinence
brazen
vsbrassy
37 7.3

Showing no shame or respect for rules

leans more toward flashy tasteless attention than pure shameless disrespect
trashy
vsbrassy
  • Informal
37 3.7

Cheap and low quality that looks ugly or not stylish

adds bold shameless showiness and attention-seeking to that cheapness
flamboyant
vsbrassy
35 6.5

Being very bright and showy to attract attention

focuses more on shameless tasteless showiness rather than theatrical style
cheeky
vsbrassy
  • Informal
33 4.8

Being rude in a playful way that shows little respect

adds stronger sense of tasteless shameless showiness instead of playful boldness
audacious
vsbrassy
26 7.6

To take bold risks and do daring things

emphasises attention-grabbing shameless show rather than risky daring behaviour
tawdry
vsbrassy
24 7.8

A thing that looks showy but is cheap and low quality

places stronger stress on shameless boldness and lack of subtlety
gaudy
vsbrassy
22 5.5

Very bright and showy in a way that looks bad

includes more open boldness and shameless attention-seeking not only bad taste
insolent
vsbrassy
22 7.1

Rude and not showing respect to other people

shifts focus to flashy tasteless attention and shameless display rather than arrogance
saucy
vsbrassy
  • Informal
21 5.8

Being playful and a little rude in a way that teases people

is more about loud tasteless show and shameless behaviour rather than charm
garish
vsbrassy
16 6.7

Very bright and showy in a way that hurts the eyes

adds a human boldness and shameless attitude beyond just excessive color
bodacious
vsbrassy
  • Informal
15 9.0

Bold and impressive in a way that attracts attention

focuses more on shameless tasteless showiness rather than mere impressive daring
glitzy
vsbrassy
13 4.8

A bright, showy look that tries to impress people

leans more toward shameless tastelessness rather than mere attractive superficiality
impudent
vsbrassy
9 7.9

Someone who shows no respect by acting or speaking boldly

is more about flashy shameless attention-seeking than direct disrespect
impertinent
vsbrassy
8 7.2

Rude or too bold toward someone, sometimes playful

adds a visual tasteless show and shameless display rather than mere rudeness
showy
vsbrassy
8 3.2

Bright or fancy in a way that draws attention

adds a stronger idea of shamelessness and tasteless boldness beyond mere display
splashy
vsbrassy
7 4.9

Very bright and showy to get attention but not in good taste

puts more weight on shameless boldness and personal disrespect than visuals
bald-faced
vsbrassy
  • Informal
5 7.4

Clearly not hidden and showing no shame

emphasizes showy tasteless display rather than merely being openly bold
fartsy
vsbrassy
  • Offensive
5 9.9

Trying to seem artistic in a showy, overdone way

leans more toward shameless tasteless boldness than pretentious artistry
flash
vsbrassy
  • UK
3 7.4

Showy in a way meant to attract attention

adds stronger tone of shamelessness and tasteless boldness than mere show
nervy
vsbrassy
1 7.6

Showing bold rudeness that upsets people

leans more toward showy tasteless display than interpersonal rudeness
barefaced
vsbrassy
1 6.9

Very bold and without shame, for example a lie told openly without hiding it

focuses more on attention-grabbing display and tasteless style than open shamelessness
meretricious
vsbrassy
  • Formal
1 9.9

Attractive in a bright, showy way but not honest or valuable

leans more toward shameless tasteless display than deceptive worth alone
brassier
vsbrassy
7.8

Bolder and more showy in style or behaviour

is less about a change in boldness and more about tasteless showiness
brazen-faced
vsbrassy
8.8

Showing no shame and acting very boldly

is more about bright tasteless show than personal disrespect or rule-breaking
gimcrack
vsbrassy
  • Archaic
9.9

Showy but cheaply made and worth little

adds an attitude of shameless boldness and tasteless attention-seeking
tatty
vsbrassy
  • UK
7.4

Showy and cheap in a way that looks low quality

expresses more open shameless boldness and deliberate showiness beyond wear
dashy
vsbrassy
  • Informal
9.2

Attractive and stylish in a bold, showy way

is more about shameless tasteless attention and lacking subtle social manners

Antonyms

276 6.0

Not easy to notice or understand because it is small

192 3.3

Not large or showy, often simple and limited in amount

How Flashy

tawdry
24 7.8
brazen
37 7.3
brassy
  • Offensive
5 7.2
flashy
69 4.1
showy
8 3.2

Surface Forms

brassy positive

Morphology

brassy = brass (semi-transparent) = brass + y

The sense 'bold, flashy' is an extended, metaphorical meaning from the bright, showy qualities of brass rather than a literal metallic property, so the connection is inferable but not strictly literal.

Etymology

Brassy in the sense of a person or style comes from the same idea of brass. Imagine shiny brass jewellery or a loud trumpet that grabs attention; that's why someone 'brassy' is 'showy', 'bold', or 'shameless'.