emboldened

adjective

em·​bold·​ened im-ˈbōl-dənd 

: made bold or bolder : instilled with boldness, courage, or resolution

"This is the way it's gonna be," Stoddard announced. He had reason to feel emboldened. So far, Tom Murphy and Dan Burke had backed his every decision.

—Ken Auletta

If the participant moves toward the creature, it avoids contact. But if the person doesn't move, the emboldened sprite edges closer and finally lands on an outstretched hand.

—Ivars Peterson

Synonyms of emboldened

• adventurous
• daring
• bold
• courageous
• brave
• fearless

Examples of emboldened in a Sentence

not too surprisingly, rock climbing tends to attract the more emboldened seekers of outdoor adventure

Recent Examples on the Web

An emboldened Beijing tested American resolve again in October by expanding its restrictions on rare-earths exports. —Lael Brainard, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025

The vagueness of the order, however, emboldened segregationists across the South. —Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

Here, spiritual infractions are met with savage physical punishment and some of the more grotesque images in recent horror memory (which, as the genre has become ever more popular and emboldened, is seriously saying something). —Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025

The Barclays report signals that the wave of CEO departures is not a fleeting anomaly but the new normal, propelled by emboldened activists and increasingly impatient boards. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1569, in the meaning defined above