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Synonyms

ballsy

American  
[bawl-zee] / ˈbɔl zi /

adjective

Slang: Vulgar.
ballsier, ballsiest

  1. boldly aggressive or courageous.

    a ballsy gal who isn't afraid of anyone.
ballsy British  
/ ˈbɔːlzɪ /

adjective

  1. slang courageous and spirited

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • ballsiness noun

Etymology

Origin of ballsy

1955–60; balls (in the sense “boldness, courage, brashness”) + -y 1; -sy

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.

“One intensely sad and angry and insecure, the other a ballsy bravado performance for public consumption.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 5, 2023

All castanets and flamenco skirts, this is a big, ballsy cabaret number about love driving you crazy.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2023

And that is ballsy for somebody to say that.

From New York Times • Feb. 10, 2022

“I think it speaks volumes. One, it’s a little ballsy by a rookie to do it, but I think it speaks volumes about Tom Brady and his character.”

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2022

“I can’t believe Zac trashed Marcus’s car. Pretty ballsy move.”

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.