audacious

American  

[aw-dey-shuhs] / ɔˈdeɪ ʃəs /

adjective

1. extremely bold or daring; recklessly brave; fearless.

   an audacious explorer.

   Synonyms:

   venturesome, dauntless, intrepid, courageous

   Antonyms:

   cowardly

2. extremely original; without restriction to prior ideas; highly inventive.

   an audacious vision of the city's bright future.

3. recklessly bold in defiance of convention, propriety, law, or the like; insolent; brazen.

   Synonyms:

   forward, impertinent, shameless, unabashed

4. lively; unrestrained; uninhibited.

   an audacious interpretation of her role.

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audacious British  

/ ɔːˈdeɪʃəs, ɔːˈdæsɪtɪ /

adjective

1. recklessly bold or daring; fearless

2. impudent or presumptuous

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Other Word Forms

• audaciously adverb
• audaciousness noun
• unaudacious adjective
• unaudaciously adverb
• unaudaciousness noun

Etymology

Origin of audacious

First recorded in 1540–50; audaci(ty) + -ous

Example Sentences

It was an audacious proposal, so complex it was never built.

From The Wall Street Journal

The exchange comes to mind as the Rams celebrate their 10th anniversary Monday of their return to Los Angeles, their audacious relocation closing the book on the weirdest chapter in this city’s sports history.

From Los Angeles Times

Now, he was asking for something even more audacious: a potential halt in the race to build superintelligence that was powering the stock market.

From The Wall Street Journal

Understanding his ideas on the simulation helps shed light onto how Musk is using the power of narrative to sell his rather audacious 2026 goals to investors.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the capture of Maduro, a serving head of state, in a raid on the capital has been the administration’s most audacious operation to date.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• adventurous
• bold
• courageous
• foolhardy
• resolute
• risky