Brandish vs brand

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Grammarist

Brandish and brand are two words that sound as if they should be related, but they are not. We will examine the definitions of brandish and brand, where these two words came from and some examples of their use in sentences.

Brandish means to wave something around, either in excitement or as a threat. Most commonly, brandish is heard in the term to brandish a sword. Even though sword fighting has gone out of style in real life, it is still seen in RPG or role playing games, books and movies. Brandish is a transitive verb, which is a verb that takes an object, and may be used literally or figuratively. Related words are brandishes, brandished, brandishing. The word brandish is derived from the Old French verb brandir, which means to flourish, especially a sword.

A brand is a product marketed with a particular name, made by a particular company. The meaning of brand has been expanded to mean the reputation or identification that a company or a person has. It has become common for online web personalities to establish their brand in order to attract followers and advertisers. In this case, the term brand describes a personality, attitude or aspiration. Brand may also refer to the mark burned into the hide of an animal in order to establish ownership. Finally, to brand is sometimes used to mean to credit someone with something shameful or disgraceful. The word brand may be used as a noun or a verb, related words are brands, branded, branding. The word brand is derived from the Old English words brand and brand, meaning a piece of burning wood or flame. Note that the words brandish and brand are derived from two different sources.

Examples

Texas will be allowed to “open carry” with swords as of Friday, when a new law permitting residents to brandish blades longer than 5.5 inches comes into effect. (The New York Post)

Predictably, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has used US think tank forums to brandish a nuclear threat against India by citing Pakistan’s possession of short-range nuclear weapons. (The Daily Mail)

Louis Vuitton is once again the world’s most valuable fashion brand, based on its financial performance and ability to both influence customer choice and command premium prices. (Harper’s Bazaar)

Your personal brand is everything from your demeanor to your career / business to your social media posts. (The Huffington Post)