audacity

noun au·dac·i·ty \ ȯ-ˈda-sə-tē \

|Updated on: 16 Aug 2018

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Examples: audacity in a Sentence

Definition of audacity

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

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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 of audacity from the Web

No where was the sheer audacity of this electoral shift more jaw-dropping than in Delaware County’s Fifth Congressional District.

— maria panaritis, Philly.com, "'The women have arrived' with Pa. congressional primary wins, as the old boys get a wake-up call | Maria Panaritis," 16 May 2018
Sacha is a comedic genius who shocks you with his audacity, bravery and inventiveness.

— hal boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Sacha Baron Cohen series debuts Sunday on Showtime," 9 July 2018
Just ask Town & Country magazine, which a few months ago had the audacity to disinvite Lewinsky from a charity event after Bill Clinton decided to attend.

— susanna schrobsdorff, Time, "Why It Matters That Bill Clinton Hasn't Really Apologized to Monica Lewinsky," 7 June 2018
Robert Reed Church had been pelted with rocks for having the audacity as a black man to be the only man in Memphis with a sled.

— aaron gilbreath, Longreads, "The Making of a Black Fortune," 20 Feb. 2018
This show — with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green — seemed propelled by something more simple: the sheer blind confidence and audacity of talented youth.

— jeremy eichler, BostonGlobe.com, "Tanglewood opens with Bernstein’s exuberance, Lang Lang’s return," 8 July 2018
The sheer insanity of the situations that befall Cassius forces him to respond with wit, energy and reckless audacity, but the captivating stillness and melancholy cool that are among Stanfield’s defining traits as an actor never recede.

— justin chang, latimes.com, "Review: Boots Riley's 'Sorry to Bother You' is an arrestingly surreal satire on class rage and cultural identity," 5 July 2018
Scorpion is exhausting and overstuffed, an album dry on thematic audacity.

— jason parham, WIRED, "With Scorpion, #DrakeSZN Is Back—as Overwrought as Ever," 2 July 2018
Captain Hardegen had earned a reputation for audacity at sea that brought him the prestigious Knights Cross.

— richard goldstein, New York Times, "Reinhard Hardegen, Who Led U-Boats to America’s Shore, Dies at 105," 17 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'audacity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of audacity

Middle English audacite, from Latin audac-, audax — see audacious

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

audacity Synonyms

Synonyms

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

Near Antonyms

bashfulness, diffidence, faintheartedness, hesitancy, modesty, shyness, timidity, timidness, timorousness;

civility, courteousness, courtesy, gentility, graciousness, mannerliness, manners;

discourteousness, disrespect, impertinence, impoliteness, impudence, incivility, inconsiderateness, inconsideration, insolence, rudeness, ungraciousness;

back talk, sass;

swagger, swash;

Synonym Discussion of audacity

temerity, audacity, hardihood, effrontery, nerve, cheek, gall, chutzpah mean conspicuous or flagrant boldness. temerity suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger.