bold

1 of 2

adjective

1
a
: fearless before danger : intrepid
bold settlers on some foreign shoreWilliam Wordsworth
b
: showing or requiring a fearless daring spirit
a bold plan
2
: impudent, presumptuous
punishing a bold child for talking back
If I may be so bold, I'd like to make a few suggestions.
3
obsolete : assured, confident
4
: sheer, steep
bold cliffs
5
: adventurous, free
a bold thinker
6
: standing out prominently
bold headlines
7
: being or set in boldface
bold lettering
boldly adverb
boldness noun

bold

2 of 2

noun

: boldface
printed in bold

Examples of bold in a Sentence

Adjective Few politicians have been bold enough to oppose the plan to cut taxes. It's a bold plan that might fail. Hiring a novice was a bold move. He punished the bold child for talking back. I'd like to offer a few criticisms, if I may be so bold. She wore a dress with bold stripes. The painting is done in bold colors.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Traditional cabin-style design reigns supreme in this mountain town, yet this chic A-frame treehouse brings bold style to those seeking a mountain home with a more modern flair. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024 The voluminous open cuff intersperses polished gold with negative space, encapsulating the 2024 trend for bold, sculptural jewelry. Sarah Royce-Greensill, CNN, 9 Apr. 2024 The plan’s bold targets include planting a million trees by 2030, phasing out all internal-combustion vehicles by 2040, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Travel + Leisure Editors, Travel + Leisure, 8 Apr. 2024 Makeup by Mario's viral Master Mattes palette has different hues of beige, brown, and pink, along with bolder tones like charcoal and black. Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 8 Apr. 2024 Carrie completed her wedding look with bold accessories In true Carrie fashion, her bridal accessories were just as iconic as her wedding gown itself. Ariana Quihuiz, Peoplemag, 8 Apr. 2024 For its part, Japan has made bold changes in defense policy after years of nominal pacifism, doubling the amount earmarked for military spending and acquiring Tomahawk missiles from the United States. Motoko Rich, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024 These two debut films, by breakthrough directors Rich Peppiatt and Sean Wang, offer irresistible storytelling and bold filmmaking that resonated deeply with our audiences at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024 For Hollar, who had served as Cardinal’s CFO since May 2020 and previously been CFO of Tenneco, Inc., management’s bold emphasis on value creation might have been something to be expected within the wheelhouse of a veteran CFO ’s repertoire. Jack Sweeney, Forbes, 28 Mar. 2024
Noun
This is the startup odyssey, a voyage not for the timid but for the bold who dare to dream differently. Ranghan Venkatraman, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 His return bolds well for Hunter Henry (ADP: 260) as well. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023 Danne recounted his strategy, which, to a room of designers, felt test-pilot bold. Robert Sullivan, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023 The last time Bill O’Brien was the offensive coordinator for the Patriots, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez combined for 169 receptions (on 237 targets), 2,237 yards and 24 touchdowns — O’Brien’s return bolds well for Hunter Henry (NE) and Mike Gesicki (NE). Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2023 Fortune favors the bold. Anto Dotcom, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2022 And fortune favors the bold. Jiayang Fan, The New Yorker, 10 June 2022 In this case, fortune favors the bold. Abhi Rahman, CNN, 5 May 2022 Second, fortune favors the bold. Mike Kerrigan, WSJ, 4 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bold.' 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

Adjective and Noun

Middle English, from Old English beald; akin to Old High German bald bold

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

circa 1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bold was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bold

Cite this Entry

“Bold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bold. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

bold

adjective
ˈbōld
1
a
: willing to meet danger or take risks : daring
b
: showing daring spirit
a bold plan
2
3
: steep entry 1 sense 1
bold cliffs
4
: standing out in a very noticeable way : conspicuous
bold colors
5
: being or set in boldface
bold letters
boldly
ˈbōl-(d)lē
adverb
boldness
ˈbōl(d)-nəs
noun

Medical Definition

BOLD

abbreviation
blood oxygenation level-dependent; blood oxygen level-dependent

Note: BOLD is used to describe imaging signals and methods that measure changes in the magnetic properties of hemoglobin accompanying changes in blood oxygen levels. BOLD functional magnetic resonance imaging is dependent on oxygen levels and is used especially in the study of brain function to produce images showing blood flow indicative of neural activity.

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