noun
brink
BRIHNGK
noun
1
The edge of something steep or dangerous, such as a cliff.
"They stood at the brink of the canyon, looking down."
2
The point right before something (often something serious) happens.
"The two countries were on the brink of war."
"The company was on the brink of bankruptcy before the buyout."
How to Use Brink
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe edge of a steep drop, or figuratively the point just before something major happens.
Common pairings
on the brink of
brink of disaster
brink of war
Word Forms
brinks plural, Brinks plural
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They stood at the _____ of the canyon, looking down.
Etymology
From Middle English brinke, related to Old Norse words for the edge of a slope or hill — the physical "edge of a drop" sense came first, and the figurative "on the verge of" sense followed later.