bodacious
Americanadjective
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South Midland and Southern U.S. thorough; blatant; unmistakable.
a bodacious gossip.
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Slang.
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remarkable; outstanding.
a bodacious story.
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audacious; bold or brazen.
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sexy; voluptuous.
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adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bodacious
1835–45; probably to be identified with dial. (Devon, Cornwall) bo(w)ldacious brazen, impudent, blend of bold and audacious
Explanation
When you announced to the CEO of the company where you had your first job that you were going to have his job before you retired, it was a bodacious move. Bodacious means bold, audacious, and brazen. Sometimes it can mean attractive and sexy as well. The adjective bodacious is probably a blend of the words bold and audacious. It's a southern term, associated for a time with surfers, who might admire a particularly "bodacious wave." That sense of admiration may be what's connected the word to its secondary meaning of attractive or sexy, as in "that party is going to be filled with bodacious babes."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
That’s exactly the type of bodacious, big data center—AI-driven data-center project—that he’s looking for,’” Perry recounted.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2025
The inevitable mix of writing styles — Zehme’s bodacious, Thomas’ straightforward — contributes an additional whipsaw effect.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2024
That illusion is of ignorance, of imagining a better world full of whimsy and bodacious thrills where nothing bad ever happens.
From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2022
The race for the White House is a big, bodacious election — and those who win the role of U.S. president are guaranteed a significant spot in history.
From Washington Times ● Feb. 20, 2022
The guy had an all right game but it wasn’t bodacious.
From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
