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.
-
Printing. typeset in boldface.
-
Obsolete. trusting; assured.
idioms
adjective
-
courageous, confident, and fearless; ready to take risks
-
showing or requiring courage
a bold plan
-
immodest or impudent
she gave him a bold look
-
standing out distinctly; conspicuous
a figure carved in bold relief
-
very steep
the bold face of the cliff
-
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
Language and Grammar - Introductory
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Beowulf vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Language and Grammar - Middle School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
She is friends with Sharon, a black social worker who has little patience for the pieties of antiracist allyship or the bold talk of young activists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
“U.S. shoppers are seemingly turning back to bold — big gold pieces, chunky chains, big colored gemstone pieces and cocktail rings, that kind of thing,” she said over email.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
"This bold city, quieter. I remember the sense of shock, which was palpable on the streets of New York."
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
Make no mistake: America’s biggest theater chain wading into the indie film distribution business is a bold, risky move that suggests a dedication to both the art of cinema and the curious moviegoer.
From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026
I am happy I misjudged you, bold reader.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
“If inflation remains elevated, in my view, a potential series of small policy moves would be better than waiting and eventually concluding that even bolder actions were necessary,” Kashkari said.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
The paper says senior economists are warning that the new prime minister will need to raise taxes, or else risk failing to deliver on his raft of "bolder policy pledges".
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Investors might have also expected a bolder target from Ives.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
Decades of information-based efforts have failed to improve eating habits, requiring bolder action on several fronts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
It is this more easygoing Lucretian, Baconian, Charltonian approach which eventually became that of the Royal Society and of eighteenth-century science, in contradistinction to the far bolder one of Montaigne and Descartes.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
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
Then, there is the new prime minister's boldest claim of all – that he will be "bringing forward the biggest changes in the last 40 years".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
“The Inheritors” is the boldest of the four.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
Pinch was the quickest, the boldest, the most irritating of the boys in all of the camps.
From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
