boldness

American

[bohld-nis] / ˈboʊld nɪs /

noun

lack of hesitation or fear in the face of risk or danger; courage.

Some members of the LGBTQ community have been murdered because of their boldness in living as their true selves and not as society tried to force them to live.
refusal to be held back by the opinion or judgment of others.

I admire your boldness in standing up on this issue; thank you for your candid words.
lack of regard for the rules of propriety or morality; impudence or brazenness.

In the early 20th century many people were shocked at the boldness and sexual innuendos that emerged in song.
the fact or quality of going beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; visionary or imaginative character.

With boldness, leadership, and determination, we are leveraging today's successes into a smarter city for all of our residents.
the quality of being visually striking, arresting, flashy, etc..

If you are someone who is generally perceived as meek and mild, then a little boldness in your wardrobe and your makeup would revamp your look.

Other Word Forms

overboldness noun
superboldness noun
unboldness noun

Etymology

Origin of boldness

bold ( def. ) + -ness ( def. )

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.

"Many, many people of all ages were inspired by the technology, the boldness, and the spirit of the astronauts."

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Underlining those priorities, Zheng said the "massive scale" and "vitality" of China's economy give leaders "the boldness and confidence to cope with various risks and market fluctuations".

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

We might start by adopting “relatively low-risk actions and laddering up boldness from there.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 21, 2025

They have said the move to appoint Fiddelke, a company veteran who succeeds Brian Cornell, lacked boldness.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 18, 2025

Her face, as young and brown and pretty as any Mack had ever seen, that face looking into his touched him again with its soft boldness and the eyes that searched his so intently.

From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers

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