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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
  • Mulch may help rebuild topsoil and enhance water infiltration, potentially boosting plant vigor.
    Jon Stojan, USA Today, 6 Oct. 2025
  • It will be measured in the vigor of his curiosity, the depth of his attention, and the audacity of his explorations.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • For her kindness and friendship, for her humour and irrepressible enthusiasm, for her curiosity, for her courage, and for her profound love of animals.
    Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Shout out to Ayesha for giving voice to other married women who are grieving old identities and seeking the courage to craft new ones.
    Essence, Essence, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • That same headbanging energy has defined her steady, albeit unconventional, political rise.
    Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 11 Oct. 2025
  • These future tests could help uncover space-time fluctuations predicted by some quantum gravity models and shed light on the interplay between dark matter, vacuum energy, and gravitational fields.
    Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • While good news in Israel is much harder to come by, extraordinary acts of heroism and sacrifice offer a glimmer of hope.
    Nicole Russell, USA Today, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The Revolution still celebrated charismatic leaders from the struggle against Somoza—figures who, not coincidentally, were guerrilla leaders whose authority stemmed from heroism in armed struggle and whose instrument of politics was violence.
    Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 8 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The Moomins, created by Finnish artist and writer Tove Jansson during WWII, are gentle, rotund trolls who live in Moominvalley, a magical place where adventures are always waiting around the corner and the values of friendship, bravery and respect are ever-present.
    Carole Horst, Variety, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Police said due to the bravery of worshippers and staff at the synagogue, as well as the police response time, the suspect wasn’t able to get inside the building.
    Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • There’s a quixotic gallantry to appealing to a saner conservative and looking ahead to a post-Trump American politics.
    James Folta, Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Queen Elizabeth later awarded Beaton the George's Cross, Britain’s highest civilian award for gallantry, for his role in saving her daughter’s life, and bestowed honors on Callender, as well as the other policemen and onlookers who intervened.
    Bailey Richards, People.com, 2 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Hardihood.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hardihood. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.

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