bold
Americanadjective
-
bolder,
comparative
-
boldest
superlative
-
not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring.
a bold hero.
-
not hesitating to break the rules of propriety; forward; impudent.
He apologized for being so bold as to speak to the emperor.
- Antonyms:
- modest
-
necessitating courage and daring; challenging.
a bold adventure.
-
beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; imaginative.
Einstein was a bold mathematician.
a difficult problem needing a bold answer.
-
striking or conspicuous to the eye; flashy; showy.
a bold pattern.
-
a bold promontory.
-
Nautical. deep enough to be navigable close to the shore.
bold waters.
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Printing. typeset in boldface.
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Obsolete. trusting; assured.
idioms
adjective
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courageous, confident, and fearless; ready to take risks
-
showing or requiring courage
a bold plan
-
immodest or impudent
she gave him a bold look
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standing out distinctly; conspicuous
a figure carved in bold relief
-
very steep
the bold face of the cliff
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imaginative in thought or expression
the novel's bold plot
-
printing set in bold face
noun
Synonym Usage
Bold, brazen, forward, presumptuous may refer to manners in a derogatory way. Bold suggests impudence, shamelessness, and immodesty: a bold stare. Brazen suggests the same, together with a defiant manner: a brazen liar. Forward implies making oneself unduly prominent or bringing oneself to notice with too much assurance. Presumptuous implies overconfidence, effrontery, taking too much for granted.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of bold
First recorded before 1000; Middle English bald, bold, Old English b(e)ald; cognate with Old Saxon, Old High German bald, Dutch boud “bold,” Old Norse ballr “dire,” from unattested Germanic bálthaz; akin to Welsh balch “proud,” Irish balc “strong”
Explanation
Someone who's bold is daring and brave. You might show how bold you are by climbing onto the roof of your house, or by speaking up when you see someone being treated unfairly. When you act in a bold way, you're taking some kind of risk; you could be risking physical danger, embarrassment, or your reputation. Whatever bold actions you take, they are confident and fearless. The adjective bold can also be used to describe a particular typeface that is thick, dark, and confident. Bold type is usually used to emphasize something strongly in writing.
Vocabulary lists containing bold
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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.
See Examples For:
While running for California governor in 2018, Gavin Newsom declared that he would rather be bold and fail than retreat to the safety of mediocrity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 7, 2026
But some are bold enough to walk away from a plum position, and there is an art to leaving the door open for a career comeback.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026
Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy set a bold target on the conference call announcing third-quarter earnings.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026
On the eve of the summit's close in Yerevan, UN biodiversity chief Astrid Schomaker said countries "must be bold and innovative to find common ground".
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
From distant rooms she heard men’s voices, gruff and serious, or ringing out with bold laughter.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Since the start of the year, the organization has grown bolder.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
Economists note that bolder fiscal stimulus is needed to sustain China’s current reflation trajectory.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
The bolder choice would have been to commit to expressing the despairing lessons of this world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The paper also says the prime minister wants "bolder devolution", including for parts of the country without elected mayors.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
A big bird dog, bolder than the others, darted in.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
Moreover, even a consumer-goods manufacturer’s boldest creations can be mimicked by a retailer’s private label.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026
In the boldest move yet globally to curb the rise of fast fashion, France is set to impose per-item fees on Shein, Temu and other platforms deemed by the legislation to engage in "ultra-fast fashion".
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
“Lanterns,” which unfolds across two timelines, is the boldest entry so far in James Gunn’s remade DC Universe.
From Salon ● Aug. 14, 2026
“Over the past eight years, we built great things for the people of California — some of the boldest actions any government in this country has taken in a generation,” Newsom said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
Getting to the top of any given mountain was considered much less important than how one got there: prestige was earned by tackling the most unforgiving routes with minimal equipment, in the boldest style imaginable.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
