bold
Noun · AdjectiveOpen English WordNet
Adjective (3)
- fearless and daring“bold settlers on some foreign shore”“a bold speech”“a bold adventure”Opposite timidSimilar audacious, foolhardy, heroic, overvaliant, emboldened, daredevil, overreaching, nervyRelates to boldness, daringSee also adventurous, unafraid, forward, brave
- clear and distinct“bold handwriting”“a figure carved in bold relief”“a bold design”Opposite inconspicuousSimilar conspicuous
- very steep; having a prominent and almost vertical front“a bluff headland”“where the bold chalk cliffs of England rise”“a sheer descent of rock”Synonyms: bluffsheerOpposite gradualSimilar steep
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Translations
Adjective courageous, daring
- French
- hardi
- German
- mutig
- Italian
- audace
- Portuguese
- corajoso
- Turkish
- cesur
- Russian
- сме́лый smélyj
- Arabic
- جَسُور jasūr
- Chinese
- 胆大 dǎndà
- Dutch
- moedig
- Polish
- śmiały
18 more languages
Adjective bold typeface
The main translation for each meaning, from the langtolang.com multilingual dictionary. Each word links to its full entry there.
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: OE. bald, bold, AS. bald, beald; akin to Icel. ballr, OHG. bald, MHG. balt, D. boud, Goth. balþei boldness, It. baldo. In Ger. there remains only bald, adv. soon. Cf. Bawd, noun
1. Forward to meet danger; venturesome; daring; not timorous or shrinking from risk; brave; courageous.
Throngs of knights and barons bold.— John Milton
2. Exhibiting or requiring spirit and contempt of danger; planned with courage; daring; vigorous. “The bold design leased highly.” John Milton
3. In a bad sense, too forward; taking undue liberties; over assuming or confident; lacking proper modesty or restraint; rude; impudent.
Thou art too wild, too rude and bold of voice.— William Shakespeare
4. Somewhat overstepping usual bounds, or conventional rules, as in art, literature, etc.; taking liberties in composition or expression; as, the figures of an author are bold. “Bold tales.” Edmund Waller
The cathedral church is a very bold work.— Joseph Addison
5. Standing prominently out to view; markedly conspicuous; striking the eye; in high relief.
Shadows in painting... make the figure bolder.— John Dryden
6. Steep; abrupt; prominent.
Where the bold cape its warning forehead rears.— John Trumbull
To make bold or daring. obsolete William Shakespeare
To be or become bold. obsolete
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54