audacity

noun

au·​dac·​i·​ty ȯ-ˈda-sə-tē 

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

Synonyms of audacity

• gall
• nerve
• arrogance
• temerity

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

In 2014, WeatherTech founder David MacNeil had the audacity to blow a large chunk of his marketing budget on his first Super Bowl spot, paying $4 million for the airtime to compete on TV’s biggest advertising stage. —Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2026

There are several virtuosic sequences, including the plane crash and Linda’s duel to the death with the boar, that fully justify the film’s R rating and induce laughter with their audacity. —Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 26 Jan. 2026

Its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival brought a rousing ovation — maybe that metric does hold some water — and mixed reviews that picked apart the film’s pacing and characterization and the audacity of ending with a Lord Bryon quote over one from Shelley. —Savannah Salazar, Vulture, 23 Jan. 2026

There are plenty of legitimate reasons to hate wealthy people who have the audacity to keep achieving; there’s no need to invent new ones. —Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 16 Jan. 2026

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

Rhymes for audacity

• capacity
• loquacity
• mendacity
• opacity
• pugnacity
• rapacity
• sagacity
• tenacity
• veracity
• vivacity
• voracity
• incapacity

Kids Definition

audacity

noun

au·​dac·​i·​ty ȯ-ˈdas-ət-ē 

plural audacities

: the quality or fact of being audacious