audacity

noun

au·​dac·​i·​ty ȯ-ˈda-sə-tē How to pronounce audacity (audio)
plural audacities
1
: the quality or state of being audacious: such as
a
: intrepid boldness
knights admired for their audacity
b
: bold or arrogant disregard of normal restraints
had the audacity to defy his boss
2
: an audacious act
usually used in plural
Her worst audacities did not seem to surprise him.Edith Wharton
Choose the Right Synonym for audacity

temerity, audacity, hardihood, effrontery, nerve, cheek, gall, chutzpah mean conspicuous or flagrant boldness.

temerity suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger.

had the temerity to refuse

audacity implies a disregard of restraints commonly imposed by convention or prudence.

an entrepreneur with audacity and vision

hardihood suggests firmness in daring and defiance.

admired for her hardihood

effrontery implies shameless, insolent disregard of propriety or courtesy.

outraged at his effrontery

nerve, cheek, gall, and chutzpah are informal equivalents for effrontery.

the nerve of that guy
has the cheek to call herself a singer
had the gall to demand proof
the chutzpah needed for a career in show business

Examples of audacity in a Sentence

I could not believe their audacity. He had the audacity to suggest that it was all my fault.
Recent Examples on the Web The audacity of dope For years, a famous Washington joke had it that the most dangerous place to find yourself on Capitol Hill was between Chuck Schumer and a camera. Jeffrey Blehar, National Review, 20 Sep. 2024 But the fourth circle was a collection of every white dude who has ever had the audacity to rap on reality TV. Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Oct. 2024 Suits follows the ins-and-outs of a prestigious Manhattan law firm through the budding mentor-mentee relationship of big-shot attorney Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and young upstart Mike Ross (Adams), who cons his way in with his photographic memory and sheer audacity. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2024 Anyone who has the audacity to tell you that a makeup-only Halloween costume is somehow lazy deserves a good jump scare. Marci Robin, Allure, 3 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for audacity 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'audacity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English audacite, borrowed from Medieval Latin audācitāt-, audācitās, from Latin audāc-, audāx "daring, bold, excessively daring, reckless" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at audacious

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of audacity was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near audacity

Cite this Entry

“Audacity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/audacity. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

audacity

noun
au·​dac·​i·​ty ȯ-ˈdas-ət-ē How to pronounce audacity (audio)
plural audacities
: the quality or fact of being audacious

More from Merriam-Webster on audacity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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