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Synonyms

bracing

American  
[brey-sing] / ˈbreɪ sɪŋ /

adjective

  1. strengthening; invigorating.

    This mountain air is bracing.

  2. of, relating to, or serving as a brace.

noun

  1. a brace.

  2. braces collectively.

    The bracing on this scaffold is weak.

  3. material, as timber, used for braces.

bracing British  
/ ˈbreɪsɪŋ /

adjective

  1. refreshing; stimulating; invigorating

    the air here is bracing
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a system of braces used to strengthen or support

    the bracing supporting the building is perfectly adequate
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • bracingly adverb
  • bracingness noun

Etymology

Origin of bracing

First recorded in 1475–85; brace + -ing 1 for the noun senses; brace + -ing 2 for the adjective senses

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Investors were bracing for futures to start trading later today, with the price of crude oil expected to jump in reaction to the outbreak of conflict in Iran this weekend.

From Barron's

Jessie Homer French has been painting folk-inflected scenes of environmental catastrophe for decades, but her consistent message and style remain bracingly fresh in the presentation by Various Small Fires.

From The Wall Street Journal

The sport’s collective bargaining agreement expires after this season, and the entire industry is bracing for missed games for the first time in more than three decades.

From The Wall Street Journal

Farmers, frustrated by years of thin margins, are bracing for another difficult year as less than half are forecast to turn a profit in 2026.

From The Wall Street Journal

Hughes retreated slightly, bracing for another painful collision by using his body as a barrier.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.