chutzpa

or chutz·pah, hutz·pa, hutz·pah

[ hoot-spuh, khoot- ]

noun

, Slang.

1. unmitigated effrontery or impudence; gall:

   He had the chutzpa to threaten to sue the people who caught him cheating.

2. bold self-confidence; daring:

   He got his first article published through sheer chutzpa while working as a telephone operator for a news agency.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chutzpa¹

First recorded in 1890–95; from Yiddish khutspa, from Aramaic ḥūṣpā

Example Sentences

You have such chutzpa about everything in your life but you do have an issue about saying your age.

From The Daily Beast

Related Words

• boldness