Brawl
/brɔːl/
nounverbB2
Definition
A brawl means a big, loud fight where many people may hit or push each other. It is often not planned and can happen suddenly in public places. As a verb, to brawl means to take part in such a fight.
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See It in Action
Noun: A noisy, physical fight involving several people
- •The police stopped the brawl outside the club before it got worse.
- •A brawl broke out between fans after the football match.
- •There was a brawl in the street that lasted for several minutes.
Verb: To fight loudly and roughly, often in a group
- •The two groups began to brawl after the argument.
- •They brawled until the security guards separated them.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "brawl" like "fight" (A1 word), but bigger, louder, and more chaotic—more people and noise
- ✓Picture a group of people shouting and pushing each other in a crowded place, like a street or a bar
- ✓It's the feeling of anger and confusion when many people start fighting at once, making it hard to stop
- ✓Sounds like "crawl" but with a "b" → imagine people crawling into a fight, all mixed up and noisy
- ✓Think of scenes in movies where a big fight breaks out suddenly between many characters, not just two
- ✓NOT like "argument" (only words, no hitting), "brawl" is physical and noisy
- ✓NOT like "duel" (one-on-one fight with rules), "brawl" is uncontrolled and with many people
- ✓NOT like "skirmish" (small fight), "brawl" is larger and louder
Try Other Words
- •Fight: physical conflict between people (Use when the fight is smaller or less noisy)
- •Scuffle: a short, light fight or struggle (Use when the fight is brief and less serious)
- •Melee: a confused, close fight involving many people (Use in formal or descriptive contexts)
- •Altercation: a noisy argument or fight (Use when emphasizing the loud argument, may or may not include physical fighting)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: No clear prefix or suffix; root word "brawl" stands alone
- •Etymology: From Middle English "brawlen," probably from Old French "brailler" meaning to shout or cry loudly
- •Historical development: Originally meant loud shouting or noisy quarrel, later came to mean physical fight
- •Modern usage: Used to describe large, noisy fights in public or groups, both as noun and verb
Reflect & Connect
•Why do you think brawls often happen in groups rather than between two people?
•How can understanding the word "brawl" help you describe conflicts in stories or news?
Fill in the blanks
1.The brawl started because someone said something ___ to another person.
2.After the brawl, the police had to ___ the crowd to stop the fighting.
3.Unlike a small fight, a brawl usually involves ___ people and a lot of noise.
4.When people brawl, they often ___ and push each other loudly.
5.The security guard tried to break up the brawl ___ it became too dangerous.
6.The fans began to brawl ___ the referee made a bad decision.
7.A brawl is different from an argument because it usually includes ___ actions.