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audacious

adjective

ȯ-ˈdā-shəs How to pronounce audacious (audio)
Definition of audaciousnext
1
as in bold
displaying or marked by rude boldness with an audacious disregard for innocent bystanders, rival gang members opened fire

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in courageous
foolishly adventurous or bold an audacious effort to start her own business with no real plan or funding

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in adventurous
inclined or willing to take risks audacious adventurers risking everything they had for a shot at glory

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of audacious In her songs, stage banter and interviews, Parton always presented herself as a humble, yet audacious mountain dreamer made good. — Jewly Hight, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 His audacious and brutal hostage-taking at OPEC headquarters ushered in a new form of terrorism. — Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 14 Aug. 2026 Tottenham Hotspur starting the transfer window as the Premier League’s most liberal and audacious spenders feels like a long time ago. — Elias Burke, New York Times, 13 Aug. 2026 But with a commercial-scale operation yet to be proved, Eden and a handful of other startups and research groups are chasing the more audacious scheme of producing geologic hydrogen artificially. — IEEE Spectrum, 11 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for audacious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for audacious
  1. bold
  2. courageous
  3. adventurous
  4. wise
  5. reckless
  6. daring
  7. brazen
  8. brave
Adjective
  • Still, the current team does have a rare shot at shaping an orchestra that is not only reliably exciting and frequently profound but also casually bold and genuinely fun — making for a crucial presence in the city as well as at Geffen Hall.
    — Justin Davidson, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • His bold, unique style was an immediate hit with ad agencies, publications, the corporate world and in pop culture.
    — BETH J. HARPAZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of bold
Adjective
  • The courageous woman at the center of that series survived long enough to give a dying statement, in the hope that her testimony would set a precedent and make the world safer for others.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Fine publicly praised his wife following her testimony, describing her as strong and courageous in a statement read outside the courthouse by attorney Douglas Wigdor.
    — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of courageous
Adjective
  • Vindell, who was wearing a green four-leaf clover T-shirt to honor McHugh, remembered her cousin as someone who was adventurous and always smiling.
    — Miles J. Herszenhorn, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Dora the Explorer Across eight increasingly adventurous seasons, Dora the Explorer taught us that active participation was not only cool but often the key to unlocking life’s great secrets.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of adventurous
Adjective
  • Kansas City slumped to a 6-11 finish in 2025, but the Kansas City defense remained in the top 10 and points and yards allowed league-wise.
    — Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Fernando Guerra, a professor at Loyola Marymount University, told my colleague Noah Goldberg that Raman might be wise not to simply focus on capturing the Pratt vote.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of wise
Adjective
  • The engineer abruptly resigned after refusing to contribute to a reckless corporate competition that could ultimately lead to uncontrollable AI.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
  • None were remotely reckless, and none prevented a promising attack, which are the usual triggers for cautions.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of reckless
Adjective
  • From classic works to recent and more structurally daring standouts, historical fiction remains one of writing’s most popular forms.
    — David Faris, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Bob Mackie, the legendary costume designer behind some of pop culture’s most dazzling—and daring—fashion moments, has passed at 87.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of daring
Adjective
  • Springfield is less appalled that Reacher has just killed a man than that Reacher was brazen enough to do it in front of him.
    — Chris Klimek, Vulture, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The documentary’s most brazen and innovative technique is to turn Musk into a CGI avatar, enthroned in the purple glow of a digital background, eerily mouthing words that, as the film says, Elon has said in real life.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of brazen
Adjective
  • Watching someone make a brave decision or step into a new version of themselves matters deeply to me.
    — Michelle De Almeida, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • This brave girl fought her way through treatment and is now a happy, healthy survivor ready for the next chapter of her life — a forever home.
    — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of brave

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Cite this Entry

“Audacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/audacious. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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