audacious

1 displaying or marked by rude boldness with an audacious disregard for innocent bystanders, rival gang members opened fire Synonyms arch, nervy, bold, bold-faced, brash, brassbound, brassy, brazen, brazen-faced, cheeky, cocksure, cocky, fresh, impertinent, impudent, insolent, sassy, saucy, wiseRelated Words assertive, forward, obtrusive; nervy, defiant, disrespectful; shameless, unabashed, unblushing; bluff, blunt, curt; cute, facetious, flip, flippant, pert, smart, smart-aleck, smart-alecky; lippy, mouthyNear Antonyms demure, humble, modest; courteous, genteel, mannerly, polite, proper; deferential, respectful; abashed, ashamed, blushing, embarrassed, shamefaced; gentle, mild; inconspicuous, unobtrusiveAntonyms meek, mousy (or mousey), retiring, shy, timid

2 foolishly adventurous or bold an audacious effort to start her own business with no real plan or funding Synonyms foolhardy, brash, daredevil, madcap, overbold, overconfident, reckless, temerariousRelated Words adventuresome, adventurous, bold, daring, venturesome, venturous; brave, courageous, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, hardy, heroic (also heroical), intrepid, lionhearted, manful, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, undauntable, undaunted, valiant, valorous; hotheaded; impetuous, imprudent, impulsive, incautious, rash; brainless, foolish, harebrained, scatterbrained; careless, heedless, thoughtless; hasty, headlong, precipitateNear Antonyms unadventurous, unambitious; fainthearted, fearful, mousy (or mousey), scary, shy, skittish, timid, timorous; calm, cool, levelheaded, sensible; alert, intelligent, quick-witted, sharp; chicken, chickenhearted, cowardly, craven, dastardly, lily-livered, pusillanimous, recreant, spineless, unheroic, yellowAntonyms careful, cautious, circumspect, guarded, heedful, prudent, safe, wary

3 inclined or willing to take risks audacious adventurers risking everything they had for a shot at glory Synonyms adventuresome, adventurous, bold, daring, dashing, emboldened, enterprising, free-swinging, gutsy, hardy, nerved, nervy, venturesome, venturousRelated Words brash, daredevil, foolhardy, heedless, hotheaded, impetuous, imprudent, impulsive, incautious, madcap, overbold, overconfident, rash, reckless, thoughtless, wild; brave, courageous, dauntless, fearless, gallant, greathearted, heroic (also heroical), intrepid, lionhearted, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, swashbuckling, unafraid, undaunted, valiant, valorous; gritty, plucky, spirited, spunky; gadarene, hasty, headlong, precipitate; absurd, asinine, balmy, brainless, crazy, foolish, half-witted, harebrained, insane, lunatic, mad, nutty, scatterbrained, silly, wacky (also whacky), witless; unnecessary; dumb, idiotic (also idiotical), moronic, stupid; irrational, unreasonableNear Antonyms chickenhearted, coward, cowardly, craven, lily-livered, milk-livered, milky, poltroon, pusillanimous, shy, timid, timorous; careful, cautious, heedful, prudent, wary; overcareful, overcautious; affrighted, afraid, alarmed, fainthearted, fearful, frightened, horrified, scared, shocked, spooked, startled, terrified, terrorized; unnerved; calm, cool, levelheaded, rational, reasonable, sage, sane, sensible, sound, wise; appalled, concerned, dismayed, upset, worriedAntonyms unadventurous, unenterprising