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bold

Pronunciation: /bəʊld/
Translate bold | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of bold

adjective

  • 1(of a person, action, or idea) showing a willingness to take risks; confident and courageous:a bold attempt to solve the crisis no journalist was bold enough to take on the Prime Minister
  • dated (of a person or their manner) so confident as to be impudent or presumptuous:she tossed him a bold look
  • Irish (especially of a child) naughty; badly behaved:I slapped him when he was bold
  • 2(of a colour, design, or shape) having a strong, vivid, or clear appearance:a coat with bold polka dots
  • of a kind of typeface having dark, heavy strokes, used especially for emphasis: cross references are printed in bold type

noun

[mass noun]
  • a bold typeface or letter:Shadow cabinet members listed in bold

Phrases

be (or make) so bold (as to do something)

formal dare to do something that might be considered audacious (used when politely asking a question or making a suggestion):what would he be calling for, if I might make so bold as to ask?

(as) bold as brass

confident to the point of impudence: she marched into the library as bold as brass

bold stroke

a daring action or initiative:the budget was full of bold strokes

Derivatives

boldly

adverb

boldness

noun

Origin:

Old English bald, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch boud and to German bald 'soon'

bold in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of bold in the US English dictionary

Nearby words

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