temerity

te·mer·i·ty

noun \tə-ˈmer-ə-tē\

plural te·mer·i·ties

Definition of TEMERITY

1

: unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition : rashness, recklessness

2

: a rash or reckless act

Examples of TEMERITY

1. He was punished for his temerity.
2. <she had the temerity to ask my boyfriend if she could go out with him should he and I ever break up>
3. He defeated giant corporations—the auto industry, big pharma—back when no one else was even trying to; he had the temerity to believe that fighting for safety and quality and transparency was a quintessentially American thing to do. —Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2007
4. A wisp of a kid (six feet, 160 pounds) with the temerity to buzz pitches up and in to Barry Bonds, Hudson has a bit of Pedro in him. —ESPN, 24 July 2000
5. … all the while you're balancing your two prevailing interests: recording her words to later use against her—because, she, too, had the temerity to be relatively famous and attractive (with a master's from Penn)—while also, more pressingly, trying to get invited back to her apartment. —Dave Eggers, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, 2000

Origin of TEMERITY

Middle English temeryte, from Latin temeritas, from temere blindly, recklessly; akin to Old High German demar darkness, Latin tenebrae, Sanskrit tamas

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to TEMERITY

Synonyms

audaciousness, audacity, brashness, brass, brassiness, brazenness, cheek, cheekiness, chutzpah (also chutzpa or hutzpah or hutzpa), crust, face, gall, nerve, nerviness, pertness, presumption, presumptuousness, sauce, sauciness, effrontery

Related Words

arrogance, assurance, cockiness, confidence, hardihood, overconfidence, sanguinity, self-assurance, self-confidence; discourteousness, disrespect, impertinence, impoliteness, impudence, incivility, inconsiderateness, inconsideration, insolence, rudeness, ungraciousness; back talk, sass; swagger, swash

Near Antonyms

bashfulness, diffidence, faintheartedness, hesitancy, modesty, shyness, timidity, timidness, timorousness; civility, courteousness, courtesy, gentility, graciousness, mannerliness, manners

Synonym Discussion of TEMERITY

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>.

Rhymes with TEMERITY

alterity, asperity, austerity, celerity, dexterity, legerity, posterity, prosperity, severity, sincerity