Word forms: comparative bolder, superlative boldest
1. adjective
Someone who is bold is not afraid to do things which involve risk or danger.
Amrita becomes a bold, daring rebel.
In 1960 this was a bold move.
Poland was already making bold economic reforms.
Synonyms: fearless, enterprising, brave, daring More Synonyms of bold
boldlyadverb [ADVERB with verb]
You can and must act boldly and confidently.
boldnessuncountable noun
Don't forget the boldness of his economic programme.
2. adjective [usually verb-link ADJECTIVE]
Someone who is bold is not shy or embarrassed in the company of other people.
I don't feel I'm being bold, because it's always been natural for me to just speakout.
boldlyadverb
'You should do it,' the girl said, boldly.
3. adjective
A bold colour or pattern is very bright and noticeable.
...bold flowers in various shades of red, blue or white.
...bold, dramatic colours.
Synonyms: bright, conspicuous, strong, striking More Synonyms of bold
boldlyadverb
The design is pretty startling and very boldly coloured.
4. adjective
Bold lines or designs are drawn in a clear, strong way.
Each picture is shown in colour on one page and as a bold outline on the oppositepage.
5. uncountable noun [usually NOUN noun]
Bold is print which is thicker and looks blacker than ordinary printed letters.
[technical]
More Synonyms of bold
bold in British English
(bəʊld)
adjective
1.
courageous, confident, and fearless; ready to take risks
2.
showing or requiring courage
a bold plan
3.
immodest or impudent
she gave him a bold look
4.
standing out distinctly; conspicuous
a figure carved in bold relief
5.
very steep
the bold face of the cliff
6.
imaginative in thought or expression
the novel's bold plot
7. printing
set in bold face
noun
8. printing short for bold face
verb
9.
to render (text) in bold face
Derived forms
boldly (ˈboldly)
adverb
boldness (ˈboldness)
noun
Word origin
Old English beald; related to Old Norse ballr dangerous, terrible, baldinn defiant, Old High German bald bold
bold in American English
(boʊld)
adjective
1.
showing a readiness to take risks or face danger; daring; fearless
2.
too free in behavior or manner; taking liberties; impudent; shameless
3.
steep or abrupt, as a cliff
4.
prominent and clear; striking and sharp
to write a bold hand
5.
bright and vivid; rich
bold colors
6.
printed in boldface
7.
forceful in expression
8. Obsolete
confident
SIMILAR WORDS: brave
Idioms:
make bold
Derived forms
boldly (ˈboldly)
adverb
boldness (ˈboldness)
noun
Word origin
ME < OE beald, bold, brave, akin to Ger bald: orig. sense, “swollen up” < IE base *bhel-: see ball1
More idioms containing
bold
bold as brass
Examples of 'bold' in a sentence
bold
He is big and bold at his fences and that will get him far.
The Sun (2016)
It's the perfect base for bold colour.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Big plans and bold choices should work out brilliantly now that ruling planet Mars is in your sign.
The Sun (2017)
It was a bold move.
The Sun (2016)
A drink or dinner if you're feeling bold.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Yet see how she pulls offthe bright, bold make-up colours shown here with such freshness.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
With the lightest of touches, he layers luxurious fabrics, bold colours and pattern on pattern.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
A photographic survey spanning the career of the pioneering American known for his bold use of colour and his vivid and mysteriously poetic images.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The bold and bright interior design, which has been heavily inspired by pop art, has given the house its biggest transformation yet.
The Sun (2016)
Real ministry requires imaginative and bold leadership.
Christianity Today (2000)
He is bold and clear about his beliefs.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Yet some investors may hope for bolder moves.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The appetite for bigger and bolder bets grew larger.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
We need to look at bold colours.
The Sun (2012)
Opening a restaurant that goes against the grain of current fashions is a bold move.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
You are also ready to take a bold step into a new working world.
The Sun (2007)
You will feel bolder and luckier in all you do.
The Sun (2008)
Simple blocks of colour such as these look bold and dramatic.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Bold designs really suit her as she is so slim up top.
The Sun (2007)
Many engineers were worried about this bold feature.
Gunston, Bill Plane Speaking - a personal view of aviation history (1991)
So when high street banks suddenly stopped lending to companies last autumn it quickly became clear that bold action was required.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Dress up for the office party in sequins and suits or go casual in bold brights for a festive drink with friends.
The Sun (2015)
The lines are confident and bold; the animals are vital and alive.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
We are backing bold stripes, metallic leathers and bold colourful prints.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The new man was bold, ambitious and confident.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
We commend the current government and its predecessor for taking the bold and courageous step to seek to build a new national network.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
His initial step was one of simple, bold imaginative engagement.
The Times Literary Supplement (2010)
A bold, daring piece of storytelling.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
As sitcom premises go, it is bold and daring - but not that funny.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Quotations
Bold knaves thrive without one grain of sense, But good men starve for want of impudenceJohn DrydenConstantine the Great
The bold are always lucky
In other languages
bold
British English: bold ADJECTIVE
Someone who is bold is not afraid to do things which involve risk or danger.
He became a bold, daring rebel.
American English: bold
Brazilian Portuguese: corajoso
Chinese: 无畏的
European Spanish: valiente
French: audacieux
German: mutig
Italian: audace
Japanese: 大胆な
Korean: 대담한
European Portuguese: corajoso
Latin American Spanish: valiente
All related terms of 'bold'
bold face
a weight of type characterized by thick heavy lines, as the entry words in this dictionary
bold plan
A plan is a method of achieving something that you have worked out in detail beforehand .
bold step
A step is one of a series of actions that you take in order to achieve something.
bold type
a weight of type characterized by thick heavy lines, as the entry words in a dictionary
make bold
to be so bold as ( to ); dare
bold-faced
confident or impudent
bold ambition
If you have an ambition to do or achieve something, you want very much to do it or achieve it.
bold statement
A statement is something that you say or write which gives information in a formal or definite way.
bold as brass
not ashamed or embarrassed , although your behaviour is shocking or annoying to other people
Philip the Bold
1342–1404, duke of Burgundy (1363–1404), noted for his courage at Poitiers (1356) in the Hundred Years' War: regent of France for his nephew Charles VI (1368–88, 1392–1404)
put a bold face on
to seem bold or confident about
Chinese translation of 'bold'
bold
(bəuld)
adj
(= brave)[person, action]大胆(膽)的 (dàdǎn de)
[pattern, colours]突出的 (tūchū de)
n(u)
(Typ) 粗体(體)字 (cūtǐzì)
in bold (Typ) 用粗体(體)字 (yòng cūtǐzì)
if I may be so bold恕我冒昧 (shù wǒ màomèi)
1 (adjective)
Definition
courageous, confident, and fearless
She becomes a bold, daring rebel.
Synonyms
fearless
brave and fearless soldiers
enterprising
an enterprising and hard-working young woman
brave
brave people who dare to challenge the tyrannical regimes
daring
a daring rescue attempt
heroic
The heroic sergeant risked his life to rescue 29 fishermen.
adventurous
He had always wanted an adventurous life in the tropics.
courageous
She is clearly a very tough and courageous woman.
gritty
a gritty determination to get to the top
gallant
gallant soldiers who gave their lives
gutsy (slang)
They admired his gutsy determination.
audacious
an audacious plan to win the presidency
intrepid
an intrepid space traveller
valiant
valiant attempts by neighbours and firefighters to rescue them
plucky
The plucky schoolgirl amazed doctors by hanging on to life.
undaunted
Although the forecast was for rain, the crowd were undaunted.
unafraid
a reputation for being tough and unafraid
unflinching
dauntless
Perseverance and dauntless courage brought them to their goal.
ballsy (taboo, slang)
lion-hearted
He came back to produce a lion-hearted performance in the 200 metres.
valorous
Opposites
fearful
,
cowardly
,
timid
,
timorous
,
faint-hearted
2 (adjective)
Definition
immodest or impudent
Some young people may seem bold and confident, but inside they are very fragile.
Synonyms
impudent
Some were well behaved, while others were impudent.
forward
She is very forward and confident.
fresh (informal)
Don't get fresh with me.
confident
In time he became more confident and relaxed.
rude
He's rude to her friends.
cheeky
They sat making cheeky comments about passers-by.
brash
On stage she seems hard, brash and uncompromising.
feisty (informal)
At 66, she was as feisty as ever.
saucy
a saucy joke
pushy (informal)
a confident and pushy individual
brazen
a brazen dive to win a free-kick
in-your-face (slang)
shameless
a shameless hustler and dealer in stolen goods
sassy (informal)
unabashed
He seems unabashed by his recent defeat.
pert
pert questions
insolent
They can be insolent and difficult to get along with.
barefaced
spirited
He wanted merely to provoke a spirited debate.
forceful
Opposites
conservative
,
retiring
,
modest
,
shy
,
polite
,
courteous
,
meek
,
tactful
3 (adjective)
Definition
standing out distinctly
bold, dramatic colours
Synonyms
bright
a bright red dress
conspicuous
strong
strong colours
striking
She was a striking woman with long blonde hair.
loud
He liked to shock with his earrings and loud clothes.
prominent
the lighthouses that are still a prominent feature of the Scottish coast
lively
toys made with bright and lively colours
pronounced
colourful
Everyone was dressed in colourful clothes.
vivid
a vivid blue sky
flashy
a flashy sports car
eye-catching
bold eye-catching stripes
salient
She read the salient facts quickly.
showy
They were smart but not showy.
Opposites
soft
,
pale
,
dull
4 (adjective)
It's a big book with bold print.
Synonyms
heavy
11 million gallons of heavy crude oil.
clear
It was a clear case of mistaken identity.
thick
The smoke was blueish-black and thick.
distinct
to impart a distinct flavour with a minimum of cooking fat
pronounced
Most of the exhibition has a pronounced Scottish theme.
Quotation
Bold knaves thrive without one grain of sense, But good men starve for want of impudence [John Dryden – Constantine the Great]
proverb
The bold are always lucky
Additional synonyms
in the sense of adventurous
Definition
daring or enterprising
He had always wanted an adventurous life in the tropics.
Synonyms
daring,
dangerous,
enterprising,
bold,
risky,
rash,
have-a-go (informal),
hazardous,
reckless,
audacious,
intrepid,
foolhardy,
daredevil,
headstrong,
venturesome,
adventuresome,
temerarious (rare)
in the sense of audacious
Definition
recklessly bold or daring
an audacious plan to win the presidency
Synonyms
daring,
enterprising,
brave,
bold,
risky,
rash,
adventurous,
reckless,
courageous,
fearless,
intrepid,
valiant,
daredevil,
death-defying,
dauntless,
venturesome
in the sense of brash
Definition
impudent or bold
On stage she seems hard, brash and uncompromising.