Skip to main content
bravely

bravely

48 1.7
Showing courage even when afraid
  • adverb
  • /ˈbreɪvli/
translation icon : valientemente
  • She bravely stepped forward to face her fears and speak in front of the crowd.
  • fight bravely
  • face bravely
  • live bravely

Still, the French and Serbian troops bravely mounted defenses throughout October.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • All I know is that they died bravely.

  • He died bravely in battle.

  • And after fighting bravely... he died.

  • So thank you to the Coast Guard who served this country bravely and performed that rescue.

  • And now one of his teammates is bravely speaking out.

  • Sadashivrao, though wounded three times, fought bravely before he too was killed.

  • Your country turned its back on this conflict, but you have bravely volunteered to join the fight to preserve freedom.

  • The people of Ukraine are fighting bravely against a brutal and unprovoked Russian invasion.

  • The RAF has fought bravely against Hitler's ambition to rule the skies over the Channel.

  • After his death, his deputy took over, and the paper, defying the obvious risk, bravely continued its muckraking pursuit.

    Academic text (2010)

Synonyms

boldly
vsbravely
54 3.3

Act in a confident, brave way without fear or hesitation

focuses on courage itself rather than on confident attitude
heroically
vsbravely
16 4.9

Acting in a brave way during a dangerous or very hard situation

means showing courage but not always in dramatic, public ways
courageously
vsbravely
15 3.8

In a brave way

is the more general term for showing courage
valiantly
vsbravely
  • Formal
13 5.5

In a brave and determined way

expresses general courage without implying extraordinary or spectacular acts
fearlessly
vsbravely
8 3.9

In a brave way without fear

is the neutral way to express acting with courage
gallantly
vsbravely
5 6.5

To act bravely and politely to help someone

is the neutral word for courage without chivalry or manners
gamely
vsbravely
4 6.8

In a brave way that keeps trying when things are difficult

is the basic word for showing courage, not necessarily spiritedness
unflinchingly
vsbravely
4 7.1

In a way that does not show fear or hesitation when facing danger

is the general term for showing courage rather than reaction style
manfully
vsbravely
  • Archaic
2 6.8

Act bravely and steadily when facing difficulty

is neutral for courage without gendered or traditional framing
daringly
vsbravely
2 4.6

In a brave, bold way that shows someone is willing to take risks

stresses courage itself rather than risk seeking or thrill
audaciously
vsbravely
1 7.2

In a bold way that takes big risks

is more about courage in facing danger rather than breaking rules
dauntlessly
vsbravely
1 8.0

In a way that shows no fear

is used broadly for showing courage, not just absence of fear
intrepidly
vsbravely
1 7.7

In a brave way without showing fear

is the general term for showing courage in many situations
valorously
vsbravely
  • Formal
8.9

In a brave way when facing danger, like in battle

is broader, covering courage in any situation not only combat
pluckily
vsbravely
8.1

In a brave and determined way when facing difficulty

is the general term for courage without implying size or effort
grittily
vsbravely
6.7

In a brave, determined way when things are difficult

focuses on courage itself rather than on toughness or endurance
like a honey badger
vsbravely
  • Texting
9.9

Act very bravely and without backing down

is the standard term for courage, not an informal animal image

Antonyms

7 3.2

Move or speak in a shy, nervous way because of low confidence

How Brave

heroically
16 4.9
valiantly
  • Formal
13 5.5
bravely
48 1.7
cautiously
70 2.3
timidly
7 3.2

Surface Forms

bravely positive

Morphology

bravely = brave (transparent) = brave + ly

A regular adverbial formation from the adjective 'brave' using the productive suffix '-ly', meaning follows directly from 'brave'.

Etymology

Bravely comes from the word brave, which comes from the Italian word bravo that meant 'bold' or 'courageous'. So, to act bravely is to do something with courage, like the kind of action people shout 'bravo' to praise.