Synonyms for audacity
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Temerity — insolent boldness, especially when imprudent or unconventional
temerity, impudence, courage, effrontery, boldness, daring, nerve, gall, chutzpah informal, impertinence, insolence, brashness, face, intrepidity, presumption, front, assurance, balls, cheek, brass, hardiness, audaciousness
Definitions
- n. 1
Insolent boldness, especially when imprudent or unconventional.
The brash private had the audacity to criticize the general.
Related words
- Word family
- audacious
Forms
- Plural
- audacities → temerities, impudences, courages, effronteries…
Choose the right word
effrons, barefaced, shameless) adds to audacity and hardihood the special element of defiance of considerations of propriety, duty, and respect for others, yet not to the extent implied in impudence or shamelessness.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- courage We admired his wisdom, not to mention his courage.
- temerity No one had the temerity to speak out against those war crimes.
- impudence He had the impudence to cut across our garden.
- effrontery His effrontery turned everyone in the firm against him.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| audacity | rising | |
| courage | rising | |
| temerity | steady | |
| impudence | steady | |
| effrontery | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- face1, gall1
- 5 letters
- front1, balls1, nerve1, cheek1, brass1
- 6 letters
- daring2
- 7 letters
- courage2
- 8 letters
- boldness2, temerity4, chutzpah2
- 9 letters
- assurance3, insolence3, hardiness, impudence, brashness2
- 10 letters
- effrontery4
- 11 letters
- presumption3, intrepidity5
- 12 letters
- impertinence
- 13 letters
- audaciousness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (daring2 = 2 syllables).