audacity

[aw-das-i-tee]

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noun, plural au·dac·i·ties.

boldness or daring, especially with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety, conventional thought, or other restrictions.
effrontery or insolence; shameless boldness: His questioner's audacity shocked the lecturer.
Usually audacities. audacious or particularly bold or daring acts or statements.

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Origin of audacity

1400–50; late Middle English audacite < Latin audāc-, stem of audāx daring (adj.) + -ite -ity

Synonyms

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1. nerve, spunk, grit, temerity, foolhardiness. 2. impudence, impertinence, brashness.

Antonyms

1, 2. discretion, prudence.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

guts courage boldness gall spunk chutzpah fearlessness nerve enterprise adventurousness intrepidity valor bravery rashness temerity impertinence cheek crust forwardness impudence

Examples from the Web for audacity

Contemporary Examples

In the end, talent and technique got the better of ardor and audacity.
Team USA Goes Down Swinging in 2-1 World Cup Loss to Belgium
Tunku Varadarajan
July 1, 2014
They have a great sense of performance, bravado, and audacity.
The Great Character Actor: Guy Pearce on His Brilliant Career, From ‘Priscilla’ to ‘The Rover’
Richard Porton
May 23, 2014
As David Plouffe detailed in his book, The Audacity To Win, the campaign had committed in writing to stay in the federal system.
Federal Campaign Funds: Easier Money
Stuart Stevens
April 2, 2014
In real life both men shared the gift of audacity; they were subversive, dissident and seductive.
Lawrence of Arabia Became Popular as the Dashing Antithesis of the War in Europe
Jack Schwartz
December 21, 2013
It had to do with me having the audacity to mock their new savior Ted Cruz.
The Tea Party’s War on Comedy
Dean Obeidallah
October 24, 2013

Historical Examples

The mother's manner was a crushing rebuke to the young man for his audacity.
The Spenders
Harry Leon Wilson
"He certainly is not lacking in audacity," thought Mr. Morgan.
Brave and Bold
Horatio Alger
She had a fondness and admiration for this child and her audacity.
Life and Death of Harriett Frean
May Sinclair
Buttner, thinking to punish him for his audacity, put a 'poser' to him, and awaited the result.
Heroes of the Telegraph
J. Munro
Your coming here is an affront, an impertinence, an audacity.
Little Dorrit
Charles Dickens

Word Origin and History for audacity

n.

mid-15c., from Medieval Latin audacitas "boldness," from Latin audacis genitive of audax (see audacious).

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper