bold

1 of 2

adjective

1
a
: fearless before danger : intrepid
bold settlers on some foreign shoreWilliam Wordsworth
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
7
: being or set in boldface
bold lettering
boldly adverb
boldness noun

bold

2 of 2

noun

: boldface
printed in bold

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
Bourbon, as with the Fancy Free, tends to step on the maraschino’s toes a little, but (most) rye whiskey’s relative lack of a bold front palate allows the seductive charms of the maraschino to express itself. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 20 Apr. 2024 Below is the full list of winners, highlighted in bold, for the 21st annual IFTAs. Georg Szalai, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Apr. 2024 Baño María artfully traverses themes of love, heartbreak, audacity, late-night revelry and societal ironies, creating a bold exploration of youthful debauchery. Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024 Achieving equity requires bold policy action, researchers said. Eleanore Catolico, Detroit Free Press, 19 Apr. 2024 In the recent past, L.A. had been in the process of becoming a leader in taking bold theatrical chances, making our opera some of the most relevant theater anywhere and L.A. the hippest opera city in America. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024 In a bold move, Oliver shared his spring quiche recipe to his Instagram followers, which includes using two whole avocado instead of butter in the dough. Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Apr. 2024 The collection is diverse, with a range of sizes, bold colors (like Seafoam and Cosmic Lilac), and design features like easy-to-grip handles and bases that are sized to fit standard cupholders. Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 16 Apr. 2024 Traditional cabin-style design reigns supreme in this mountain town, yet this chic A-frame treehouse brings bold style to those seeking a mountain home with a more modern flair. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 9 Apr. 2024
Noun
This is the startup odyssey, a voyage not for the timid but for the bold who dare to dream differently. Ranghan Venkatraman, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 His return bolds well for Hunter Henry (ADP: 260) as well. Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023 Danne recounted his strategy, which, to a room of designers, felt test-pilot bold. Robert Sullivan, The New Yorker, 20 Nov. 2023 The last time Bill O’Brien was the offensive coordinator for the Patriots, Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez combined for 169 receptions (on 237 targets), 2,237 yards and 24 touchdowns — O’Brien’s return bolds well for Hunter Henry (NE) and Mike Gesicki (NE). Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Sep. 2023 Fortune favors the bold. Anto Dotcom, Forbes, 3 Oct. 2022 And fortune favors the bold. Jiayang Fan, The New Yorker, 10 June 2022 In this case, fortune favors the bold. Abhi Rahman, CNN, 5 May 2022 Second, fortune favors the bold. Mike Kerrigan, WSJ, 4 May 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bold.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of bold was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near bold

Cite this Entry

“Bold.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bold. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

bold

adjective
ˈbōld
1
a
: willing to meet danger or take risks : daring
b
: showing daring spirit
a bold plan
2
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.

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