adj
briny
BREYE-nee
Briny (adj) means Salty, or tasting or smelling like sea water. Example: “A briny smell drifted in from the harbor.”
adj
1
Salty, or tasting or smelling like sea water.
"A briny smell drifted in from the harbor."
"The soup was too briny for her taste."
noun
1
The sea (informal, often literary).
"He sailed off across the briny."
How to use briny
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSalty, like sea water or brine — describes tastes, smells, or (informally) the sea itself.
Common pairings
briny water
briny taste
the briny deep
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Word forms
- Comparative
- brinier, more briny
- Superlative
- briniest, most briny
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
A _____ smell drifted in from the harbor.
Etymology
Of uncertain origin, briny possibly comes from Middle English brine (“act of burning; fire”, noun), from Old English bryne (“act of burning; fire, flame; heat”), from Proto-Germanic *bruniz (“act of burning; fire”), from *brinnaną (“to be on fire, burn”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰrewh₁- (“to boil; to brew”).
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for briny
See all rhymes for briny →Frequently asked questions
What does “briny” mean?
The word “briny” means salty, or tasting or smelling like sea water. In plain terms, salty, like sea water or brine — describes tastes, smells, or (informally) the sea itself.
How do you pronounce “briny”?
“Briny” is pronounced BREYE-nee (/ˈbɹaɪni/ in IPA).
How do you use “briny” in a sentence?
Here is “briny” used in a sentence: “A briny smell drifted in from the harbor.”
What part of speech is “briny”?
Depending on how it is used, “briny” can be an adjective and a noun.
How many meanings does “briny” have?
“Briny” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: salty, or tasting or smelling like sea water.
