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
- bodaciously adverb
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
The book follows that sentiment, with produce-focused, elevated dishes that are simple to prepare but bodacious in flavor and color, all made with with the humblest of ingredients.
From Salon • May 2, 2024
Optimistic for a second chance, it waited battered and bruised in the shadows of preposterously bodacious classic cars whose shiny chrome and sleek paint jobs beam like 100-watt movie star smiles.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 14, 2023
“Ice puts the ball on the floor, he fakes left, then goes left and leaves Brothers standing in his tracks. He looks away, then goes up and rips the net with a bodacious slam!”
From "Slam!" by Walter Dean Myers
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.
