bold

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Brave and confident; willing to take risks.

   It was a bold decision to start her own company.

2. 2
   adj

   Strong and clear so that it stands out.

   The poster used bold colours to catch the eye.

3. 3
   adj

   (of letters) Printed in thicker, darker type.

   The headings are written in bold text.

4. 4
   adj

   Too confident or rude in a way that shows no respect.

   It was rather bold of him to ask for a raise so soon.

Common collocations

• bold move Adjective + noun
• bold step Adjective + noun

From Middle English bold, bolde, bald, beald, from Old English bald, beald (“bold, brave, confident, strong, of good courage, presumptuous, impudent”), from Proto-West Germanic *balþ, from Proto-Germanic *balþaz (“strong, bold”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-, *bʰlē- (“to bloat, swell, bubble”). Cognate with Dutch boud (“bold, courageous, fearless”), Middle High German balt (“bold”) (whence German bald (“soon”)), Swedish båld (“bold, dauntless”). Perhaps related to Albanian ballë (“forehead”) and Old Prussian balo (“forehead”). Compare typologically Italian affrontare (“to face, to deal with…

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