brandish

/ˈbrændɪʃ/ (bre, ipa) · [brˈændɪʃ] /ˈbrændɪʃ/ (ame, ipa) · [brˈændɪʃ] /ˈbran-dish How to pronounce brandish (audio)/ (ame, mw)

brandish — verb

  • brandishpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • brandisheshe / she / it
  • brandishedpast simple
  • brandishing-ing form

1. to hold up an object — usually a weapon — and move it about so that people can s

1.動詞及物C1
釋義

to hold up an object — usually a weapon — and move it about so that people can see it, often as a threat or as a show of triumph

例句

Shirin stormed into the meeting brandishing the resignation letter for everyone to see.

brandish + document as a show of defiance

The robber brandished a small kitchen knife and ordered the cashier to open the till.

typical pattern: brandish + weapon in a crime scene

同義詞
  • wield

    stronger sense of using the object skilfully or with control, not just displaying it

  • flourish

    emphasises a showy, dramatic gesture rather than a threat

  • wave

    much more neutral; covers any back-and-forth motion of the hand or an object

反義詞
  • conceal

    to deliberately keep an object out of sight

  • sheathe

    specifically of a sword or blade, to put it back in its case

文法句型

brandish + object (typically a weapon or held item)

用法筆記

Object is almost always something held in the hand and visible from a distance — a weapon, a document, a trophy, a flag, or a banner. Avoid with abstract objects or with items the subject is merely carrying.

常見錯誤

❌He brandished a new idea at the meeting.
✅He proposed a new idea at the meeting.
💡brandish needs a physical object held in the hand, not an abstract concept.
❌She brandished her phone in her pocket.
✅She kept her phone in her pocket.
💡brandish means to show off or wave; an object hidden in a pocket cannot be brandished.

brandish — noun