German word

dreist

Pronunciation

IPA/draɪ̯st/

Meaning

  • adjectivebrazen

Example

Sein Verhalten wird immer dreister.

His behavior is becoming more and more brazen.

Illustration for dreist (brazen)

More examples

Sie war dreist und nahm ohne Erlaubnis den letzten Kuchen.

She was brazen and took the last cake without permission.

Core concept

A person pushes past politeness without hesitation, relying on sheer nerve while others see the conduct as unacceptably presumptuous.

Common phrases

  • dreist sein

    be brazen

  • dreist Forderungen stellen

    make brazen demands

  • dreist auftreten

    act brazenly

Similar words

unverschämt: Showing extreme insolence and a complete lack of proper restraint.
frech: Being impudent or cheeky in a way that may seem playfully disrespectful.
aufdringlich: Insisting on attention or involvement while ignoring another person's boundaries.
rücksichtslos: Ignoring the inconvenience and feelings of others to serve personal interests.

Definition in German

Jemand verhält sich frech und rücksichtslos, sodass andere das Verhalten als unverschämt empfinden

Word origin

Dreist is an inherited Germanic adjective recorded in Middle High German as drist, whose earlier sense of boldness developed into the present sense of shameless impudence.

Usage tips

  • The comparative dreister in the example means increasingly brazen, not merely more playful or mischievous.

Other meanings

  • cheekyadjective
  • impudentadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • Dreistigkeitbrazennessnoun
  • Dreistheitimpudencenoun

Word lists with this word