boldness

[bohld-nis]

noun

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of boldness¹

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

Example Sentences

At the same time, they added, the blueprint lacked some of the boldness officials promised, such as corporate tax-rate reductions and aggressive write-offs on productivity-enhancing equipment.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Her research only made her appreciate the boldness and insight of DaCosta’s adaptation more.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Now an assistant director of integrative student services in the business school at Wake Forest University, she’s a bit jealous of budding professionals’ boldness.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Her boldness typified that of a woman who was as relentless as she was ambitious from the very beginning of her time as a footballer.

Read more on BBC

Such boldness is admirable, and indicative of Michael’s commitment to following his own vision.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• bravery 
• chutzpah 
• courage 
• daring 
• determination 
• fearlessness www.thesaurus.com
• recklessness www.thesaurus.com