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.

"May you succeed in honouring the people's mandate by striking a balance between caution and boldness."

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

As a woman working in big-budget, mainstream film, Fennell’s boldness is mistaken for trashiness; her feminine gaze is confused with a typically masculine gratuitousness.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • Nov. 18, 2025

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.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025

This boldness, such as it was, went against everything in him, but this was it, his last chance: act now, or lose his dream forever.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

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