1
: somewhat salty
brackish water
2
a
: not appealing to the taste
brackish tea
b
: repulsive
a brackish personality
brackishness
noun
Did you know?
When the word brackish first appeared in English in the 1500s, it simply meant “salty,” as did its Dutch parent brac. Then, as now, brackish was used to describe water that was a mixture of saltwater and freshwater, such as one encounters where a river meets the sea. Since that time, however, brackish has developed the additional meanings of “unpalatable” and “repulsive,” presumably because of the oozy, mucky, and sometimes stinky (or stinkyish, if you prefer)—not just salty—qualities of coastal estuaries and swamps.
Synonyms of brackish
Examples of brackish in a Sentence
the office coffee is often some brackish brew that's been sitting around for a couple of hours
the river becomes brackish as we approach the tidemark
Recent Examples on the Web
Chevron also said Kilby will use non-potable, brackish groundwater for power plant operations instead of freshwater.
—
Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
The most common species of stingray in North Carolina waters is the Atlantic stingray, which can tolerate the brackish waters of sounds and coastal rivers, the aquarium reports.
—
Mark Price
june 25,
Charlotte Observer,
25 June 2026
Made up of vast mangrove forests, brackish marshlands, and tons of tiny islands, the refuge shelters a wide variety of animals, including American alligators and crocodiles, Florida panthers, manatees, river otters, bottle-nosed dolphins, and more than 200 species of migratory birds.
—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
23 June 2026
The grass performs well in the brackish conditions common to seaside golf courses and offers excellent chipping surfaces.
—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for brackish
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Mateo Rosiles,
USA Today,
25 June 2026
The most common species of stingray in North Carolina waters is the Atlantic stingray, which can tolerate the brackish waters of sounds and coastal rivers, the aquarium reports.
—
Mark Price
june 25,
Charlotte Observer,
25 June 2026
Made up of vast mangrove forests, brackish marshlands, and tons of tiny islands, the refuge shelters a wide variety of animals, including American alligators and crocodiles, Florida panthers, manatees, river otters, bottle-nosed dolphins, and more than 200 species of migratory birds.
—
Elizabeth Rhodes,
Travel + Leisure,
23 June 2026
The grass performs well in the brackish conditions common to seaside golf courses and offers excellent chipping surfaces.
—
Tim Corlett,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for brackish
Cite this Entry
“Brackish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brackish. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brackish
adjective
brack·ish
ˈbrak-ish 
: somewhat salty
brackish water
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