bold

[ bohld ]

adjective

, bold·er, bold·est.

1. not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring:

   a bold hero.

   Synonyms: dauntless, valorous, intrepid, valiant, brave, adventurous, fearless

2. not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; forward; impudent:

   He apologized for being so bold as to speak to the emperor.

   Antonyms: modest

3. necessitating courage and daring; challenging:

   a bold adventure.

4. beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; imaginative:

   Einstein was a bold mathematician.

   a difficult problem needing a bold answer.

5. striking or conspicuous to the eye; flashy; showy:

   a bold pattern.

6. steep; abrupt:

   a bold promontory.

7. Nautical. deep enough to be navigable close to the shore:

   bold waters.

8. Printing. typeset in boldface.
9. Obsolete. trusting; assured.

bold

/ bəʊld /

adjective

1. courageous, confident, and fearless; ready to take risks
2. showing or requiring courage

   a bold plan

3. immodest or impudent

   she gave him a bold look

4. standing out distinctly; conspicuous

   a figure carved in bold relief

5. very steep

   the bold face of the cliff

6. imaginative in thought or expression

   the novel's bold plot

7. printing set in bold face

noun

1. printing short for bold face

Derived Forms

• ˈboldness, noun
• ˈboldly, adverb

Other Words From

• bold·ly adverb
• bold·ness noun
• o·ver·bold adjective
• su·per·bold adjective
• un·bold adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of bold¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English bald, bold, Old English b(e)ald; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German bald, Dutch boud “bold,” Old Norse ballr “dire,” from unattested Germanic bálthaz; akin to Welsh balch “proud,” Irish balc “strong”

Word History and Origins

Origin of bold¹

Old English beald ; related to Old Norse ballr dangerous, terrible, baldinn defiant, Old High German bald bold

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. be / make (so) bold, to presume or venture; dare:

   I made bold to offer my suggestion.

More idioms and phrases containing bold

In addition to the idiom beginning with bold , also see big and bold ; make bold .

Synonym Study

Bold, brazen, forward, presumptuous may refer to manners in a derogatory way. Bold suggests impudence, shamelessness, and immodesty: a bold stare. Brazen suggests the same, together with a defiant manner: a brazen liar. Forward implies making oneself unduly prominent or bringing oneself to notice with too much assurance. Presumptuous implies overconfidence, effrontery, taking too much for granted.

Example Sentences

There were large purple signs everywhere, with The Dawn Sturgess Inquiry written across them in bold white letters.

From BBC

Annulling the entire presidential election is a bold choice, but it follows another unprecedented move when the outgoing president ordered intelligence documents to be declassified and made public.

From BBC

This monumental tragedy about today and tomorrow used its size and awe to burrow bold ideas into the multiplex.

From Los Angeles Times

Musk and Ramaswamy’s bold promises have incited some incredulity among experts, who say the size and scope of their mandate borders on the impossible.

From BBC

His admirers, and history, see his crossing to Canada as bold protest against the Vietnam draft.

From New York Times

Related Words

• clear
• colorful
• definite
• eye-catching
• flashy
• forceful
• lively
• loud
• spirited
• strong
• vivid