emboldened

[ em-bohl-dnd ]

adjective

1. made bold or bolder; given the courage or nerve to do something daring, challenging, or controversial:

   It was unclear whether the missile fire was the work of an emboldened rebel force, the military, or some mixture of both.

verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of embolden ( def ).

Word History and Origins

Origin of emboldened¹

embolden ( def ) + -ed ²( def )

Example Sentences

Any overtures have been repeatedly rejected by Mr Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition, who will now also feel emboldened by the prospect of an incoming Donald Trump presidency.

From BBC

Women reported a surge in misogynistic threats over the past week, with many of them concluding that sexist men, emboldened by Trump's victory, now feel empowered to go on the attack.

From Salon

“These messages represent an alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country, who now feel emboldened to spread hate and stoke the flames of fear that many of us are feeling after Tuesday's election results,” Johnson said.

From BBC

"If Russia would be successful in Ukraine, you would have an emboldened Russia at our border," he said in Budapest.

From BBC

Silicon Valley billionaires will pad their profits by spewing hate online, various parts of our government will be effectively up for sale to lobbyists and contractors, oppressive regimes abroad will be emboldened to attack their neighbors, and Trump himself will relentlessly attack journalists.

From Slate

Related Words

• buoyant
• cheerful
• comfortable
• confident
• eager
• enthusiastic
• rosy
• sanguine
• trusting
• upbeat