Word of the Day

: April 15, 2007

temerity

noun tuh-MAIR-uh-tee

What It Means

: unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition : rashness, recklessness

temerity in Context

The official was thrown into jail for having the temerity to publicly disagree with the dictator.

Did You Know?

When it comes to flagrant boldness, "temerity," "audacity," "hardihood," and "effrontery" have the cheek to get your meaning across. Of those synonyms, "temerity" (from the Latin "temere," meaning "blindly" or "recklessly") suggests boldness arising from contempt of danger, while "audacity" implies a disregard of the restraints commonly imposed by convention or prudence. "Hardihood" implies firmness in daring and defiance, and "effrontery" suggests a shameless disregard of propriety and courtesy. If you're looking for a more informal term for a brash attitude, you might consider "nerve," "cheek," "gall," or "chutzpah."