bold

1 of 2

adjective

ˈbōld 

bolder; boldest

1

a

: fearless before danger : intrepid

the first bold explorers of space

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

dressed in bold colors/patterns

often, of food : strong and distinctive : assertive sense 2

bold flavors

bolder spices like cinnamon and clove

7

: being or set in boldface

bold lettering

boldly

ˈbōl(d)-lē 

adverb

boldness

ˈbōl(d)-nəs 

noun

bold

2 of 2

noun

: boldface

printed in bold

Synonyms of bold

Adjective

• adventurous
• daring
• courageous
• fearless
• brave

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

In return, New York acquired multiple first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, signaling a willingness to accumulate early picks and target premium prospects in a bold move to rebuild from the ground up. —Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2025

In a campus culture that prides itself on being bold and contrarian, too many young men see cruelty as courage. —Eli Thompson, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2025

As reported by Fortune, the full value of the compensation package hinges on Musk achieving a series of bold performance goals for Tesla. —Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Nov. 2025

The vivid blue campaign signs with bold orange lettering were impossible to miss as Zohran Mamdani made his historic and improbable run for New York City mayor this summer. —Philip Marcelo, Fortune, 8 Nov. 2025

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

Phrases Containing bold

• (as) bold as brass
• be/make so bold
• bold-faced
• make bold

Rhymes for bold

• bowled
• cold
• doled
• foaled
• fold
• gold
• hold
• holed
• mould
• old
• poled
• polled

Kids Definition

bold

adjective

ˈbōld

1

a

: willing to meet danger or take risks : daring

b

: showing daring spirit

a bold plan

2

: impudent, saucy

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.