brazen age

brazen age

A man in his brazen age reflects on his career achievements.

Definition
  1. Noun (historical/literary):
    • The Bronze Age: The "brazen age" is an archaic or poetic term for the Bronze Age, the period in human prehistory characterized by the use of bronze tools and weapons, following the Stone Age and preceding the Iron Age.
    • A period of hardness or insensitivity: By extension, "brazen age" can refer to a time or era marked by shamelessness, boldness, or moral coarseness, derived from the adjective "brazen" meaning "bold and without shame."
Usage Examples

  • Noun (historical):

    • The brazen age saw the rise of the first great civilizations in Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. (The Bronze Age was a period of significant technological and cultural advancement.)
    • Archaeologists have uncovered many bronze artifacts from the brazen age. (Bronze tools and weapons are typical of that prehistoric era.)

  • Noun (figurative):

    • Critics described the modern era as a brazen age, where greed and shamelessness flourish. (A time of moral decay and bold wrongdoing.)
Advanced Usage

  • "the brazen age of myth": In classical Greek literature (Hesiod's "Works and Days"), the "brazen age" is one of the five ages of man, a race of men made from ash trees, warlike and violent, eventually destroyed by their own hands.

    • Hesiod's brazen age was a time of constant warfare and destruction. (A mythological era of aggression.)

  • "brazen age of industry": A metaphorical use to describe a period of ruthless industrialization.

    • The 19th century was a brazen age of factories and exploitation. (An era of harsh, unfeeling progress.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Brazen (adj): bold and without shame; made of brass.
    • His brazen lie shocked everyone. (His shameless falsehood was surprising.)
  • Age (n): a long period of time, often with a defining characteristic.
    • The golden age of cinema (a period of great achievement in film.)
Synonyms
  • Bronze Age: the standard archaeological term for the same period.
  • Copper Age: a related term for the earlier Chalcolithic period (sometimes overlapping with the Bronze Age).
  • Era of brass: a poetic synonym for a hard, unfeeling time.
Related Idioms

  • Brazen it out: to face a difficult situation with boldness or defiance, especially after doing something wrong.

    • He was caught cheating, but he decided to brazen it out. (He acted shamelessly to avoid admitting guilt.)

  • Brazen-faced: having a bold, shameless expression.

    • She gave a brazen-faced denial of the accusation. (She denied it without any sign of shame.)