boldly
Americanadverb
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without hesitation or fear in the face of risk or danger; courageously.
To those who so boldly fought and died for our freedom, I apologize that so many have thrown it away.
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without worrying about the opinion or judgment of others.
He uttered his prayer loudly, boldly, not caring if the others overheard.
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without regard for the rules of propriety or morality; impudently or brazenly.
The chutzpah it takes to lie so boldly is epic!
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in a way that goes beyond usual limits of conventional thought or action; in a visionary or imaginative way.
The new concert hall demonstrates that an intimate musical experience and boldly innovative architecture need not be in conflict.
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in a way that is visually striking or arresting; in a showy or flashy way.
The boldly striped entrance hall makes a dramatic opening statement in this home.
The male is an attractive and boldly marked bird, while the female is comparatively drab.
Other Word Forms
- overboldly adverb
- superboldly adverb
- unboldly adverb
Etymology
Origin of boldly
Explanation
Do something boldly and you act with bravery and confidence. Despite your shyness, you made friends on the first day of school by boldly introducing yourself to your classmates. When someone takes a risk or musters up a lot of courage, they act boldly. Harriet Tubman boldly led enslaved people to safety on the Underground Railroad. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay boldly scaled Mt. Everest, the first people known to make it to the summit. And you might boldly speak up in defense of a friend who's being bullied. The Old English root is beald, "stout-hearted."
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.
Stock-market investors were acting boldly Wednesday, but that’s in sharp contrast to the early hours of the fragile truce.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026
A Mazda dealer boldly placed a big ad — “the gas shortage is over with a Mazda” — right there in the Flint Journal, the hometown newspaper of General Motors.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026
"With our partners, we’re extending Nvidia beyond our planet — boldly taking intelligence where it's never gone before."
From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026
Given an opportunity to inflict massive damage on that enemy, the president boldly seized it.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
“I boldly entered...politics and business and exercised the rights I already possessed. I therefore claim the right to speak for the...women of the country...and I now announce myself as a candidate for the Presidency.”
From "Votes for Women!" by Winifred Conkling
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.
