Meaning & use

audacity

noun·Academic

A willingness to take bold risks or behave in a shockingly disrespectful way.

See it in a sentence

She had the audacity to ask for a raise on her very first day at work.

It took real audacity for the young pilot to attempt the record-breaking flight alone.

A note on using this word

Audacity can be admiring, praising daring courage, or disapproving, criticizing rudeness, depending entirely on the surrounding context and tone.

Words with a similar meaning

boldnessnerveimpudence

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

timidity

Make it your own

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