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 Larrañaga relishes serving the less audacious, too—ideally with a creative twist. — The Editors, Robb Report, 27 June 2026 Cobb returned to her tiny home of Fogo Island, off the remote coast of Newfoundland, and embraced an audacious, improbable idea of building a luxury inn for the global elite in one of the most isolated communities in the country. — James G. Naples, Fortune, 27 June 2026 There’s not much to shake this category up unless voters award Dancing With the Stars a nomination for its audacious casting, or The Great American Baking Show for making people smile. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 25 June 2026 But local officials will have to be smart about it— smart, and a little audacious. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 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
  • SpaceX thinks Starship's combination of power and reusability will revolutionize spaceflight, allowing humanity to settle the moon and Mars, among other bold exploration feats.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 July 2026
  • Last year, the Food and Drug Administration removed a bold safety warning about possible heart risks with testosterone pills, gels, injections and patches, based on recent data that showed no increase in those problems.
    — Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of bold
Adjective
  • With courageous tennis and heaps of that necessary self-belief, Muchová beat Gauff 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(12-10) to advance to her second Grand Slam final and first at Wimbledon.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 July 2026
  • Board chairs need to be competent, courageous and lead with integrity to protect individual board members in order to fulfill the fiduciary duties and provide value to the shareholders.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Definition of courageous
Adjective
  • Their full-backs will look to get forward, while Sander Berge will anchor the midfield alongside the adventurous Patrick Berg and the creative presence of Odegaard.
    — Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 11 July 2026
  • Pína and Hawk mysteriously slip out while Joe and Angela are in the kitchen, suggesting that the adventurous lovemakers may have just been figments of their imagination.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 11 July 2026
Definition of adventurous
Adjective
  • Specifically, many should be moving to a more proactive, as opposed to reactive, approach, and understanding that diversification of contacts may be wise in a more volatile environment.
    — Radu Magdin, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • Just being around here longer helps body-wise, mentally,, physically, everything.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 10 July 2026
Definition of wise
Adjective
  • An alleged reckless, DUI driver crashed into a Metro bus while leading Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies on a pursuit through Compton on Monday afternoon.
    — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • Whether a challenge was reckless or unlucky, whether force was proportionate, whether intent should count at all — no additional data resolves these questions.
    — Oded Netzer, Fortune, 13 July 2026
Definition of reckless
Adjective
  • Wadden admits that the color has a richness and warmth that might seem like a daring choice to homeowners who are accustomed to more understated palettes.
    — Terri Williams, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • But to play two knockout matches without conceding even a sniff of a chance is hugely impressive — especially considering Deschamps hasn’t compromised on his unusually daring approach of using four proper attackers.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 10 July 2026
Definition of daring
Adjective
  • This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.
    — David Folkenflik, NPR, 11 July 2026
  • That’s despite Musk promising Tesla’s fleet would grow to hundreds of thousands by the end of this year, a characteristically brazen prediction with little bearing on reality.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 9 July 2026
Definition of brazen
Adjective
  • Some then created stories of brave soldiers killing those imaginary dragons.
    — Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 15 July 2026
  • Of course, this brave new cyberlibrary drew pushback, as critics worried that cell phone novels would spell the end of Japanese literature.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 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 18 Jul. 2026.

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