brandish

Word family

bran·dish /ˈbrændɪʃ/ verb [transitiveT] written

HOLDto wave something around in a dangerous or threatening way, especially a weapon 〔危险或气势汹汹地〕挥舞〔尤指武器〕

A man leapt out, brandishing a kitchen knife.

一个男人挥着一把菜刀跳了出来。

Examples from the Corpus

brandish• A man brandishing a gun had threatened staff and customers at a local bank.• At one point, the suspect brandished a knife.• In her writing she recounts a story about one lovesick cowboy who brandished a pistol at her.• One witness claimed a shotgun had been brandished before police arrived at the scene.• Men's fists punched the air, brandishing flagons of beer.• He'd remembered the Walther Steve had brandished in Evelyn's Wandsworth house.• Stepping high in the light gravity and brandishing the bag before her, she ploughed her way out into the open air.• He brandished the moral force of government as his weapon.• Four horsemen dashed up at full gallop, shouting and brandishing their weapons.

Origin brandish

(1300-1400) Old French brandir, from brand “sword”

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus

TOEFL BNC: 14173 COCA: 13627

brandish