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Synonym Chooser

How is the word hardihood different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of hardihood are audacity, cheek, chutzpah, effrontery, gall, nerve, and temerity. While all these words mean "conspicuous or flagrant boldness," hardihood suggests firmness in daring and defiance.

admired for her hardihood

When is audacity a more appropriate choice than hardihood?

The words audacity and hardihood are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, audacity implies a disregard of restraints commonly imposed by convention or prudence.

an entrepreneur with audacity and vision

When might effrontery be a better fit than hardihood?

The words effrontery and hardihood can be used in similar contexts, but effrontery implies shameless, insolent disregard of propriety or courtesy.

outraged at his effrontery

How does the word nerve relate to other synonyms for hardihood?

Nerve, cheek, gall, and chutzpah are informal equivalents for effrontery.

the nerve of that guy
has the cheek to call herself a singer
had the gall to demand proof
the chutzpah needed for a career in show business

Where would temerity be a reasonable alternative to hardihood?

In some situations, the words temerity and hardihood are roughly equivalent. However, temerity suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger.

had the temerity to refuse

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 hardihood My father had been a leading Mountaineer and would still maintain the general superiority in skill and hardihood of the Above Boys (his own faction) over the Below Boys (so were they called), of which party his contemporary had been a chieftain. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2022 There is little question that Reagan, for all his physical hardihood and strength of will, was no longer up to the task of serving a third term beginning in 1989. Dan McLaughlin, National Review, 18 Sep. 2020 And yet Andrew Johnson, with unblushing hardihood, undertook to rule them by his own power alone. Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 21 Oct. 2019 Someone died today in Virginia in a racial terrorist attack, and our President had the audacity, the hardihood to continue to hew to the line of dog whistling racist dogma. Angela Helm, The Root, 12 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hardihood
Noun
  • Climate change, poverty, the savaged middle class, plagues and the rise of A.I. need to be faced now with far more vigor than when they were first realized back in my youth.
    Lizz Schumer, People.com, 16 July 2025
  • Siberian iris rhizomes spread over time to form a large clump of plants and can be easily divided every 3 to 4 years to provide more irises and restore vigor.
    Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • Trapped in the depths of the ocean, surrounded by sharks and with a ruthless enemy lurking above, Tatiana – the lead role played by Marano – must use all her wit and courage to survive and save her friends.
    Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 17 July 2025
  • True leadership courage lies in rallying teams around a noble cause and recognizing when identity has become a barrier to necessary evolution.
    Nate Bennett, Forbes.com, 17 July 2025
Noun
  • The massive energy needs of the data centers required to run artificial intelligence (AI) operations have led Big Tech firms like Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta to buy electricity from preexisting nuclear power plants, push for reopening closed ones, and encourage the construction of new reactors.
    Time, Time, 15 July 2025
  • Through much of the war, the Biden administration avoided taking direct aim at Russian energy exporters out of concern that doing so would cause global fuel prices to rise.
    Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 15 July 2025
Noun
  • Other stories of heroism have begun to surface as the floodwaters recede in Texas.
    Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 6 July 2025
  • Amid the chaos, acts of heroism stood out: men who hoisted children over animal chutes, staff who moved the animals and tried to restore calm, police officers and firefighters who arrived on the scene to help.
    Jordan Friedman, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 July 2025
Noun
  • Larry loomed very large in their lives for a long time, so there was definitely a lot of bravery that people showed in coming forward to tell their truth.
    Elisabeth Garber-Paul, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2025
  • To come forward takes an extreme amount of bravery.
    Julia Bonavita, FOXNews.com, 16 July 2025
Noun
  • The convergence of reason and gallantry, of irony and affection, struck a teasing tone.
    Merve Emre, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
  • Written with filmmaker Matt Yoka, Possession marries the Band’s Americana with T. Rex’s fuzzy glam, anchored by Segall’s always-stellar guitar gallantry.
    Dan Reilly, Vulture, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hardihood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardihood. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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