BOLDNESS

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does boldness mean? 

• BOLDNESS (noun)
  The noun BOLDNESS has 3 senses:

1. the trait of being willing to undertake things that involve risk or danger

2. impudent aggressiveness

3. the quality of standing out strongly and distinctly

  Familiarity information: BOLDNESS used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• BOLDNESS (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The trait of being willing to undertake things that involve risk or danger

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

boldness; daring; hardihood; hardiness

Context example:

the plan required great hardiness of heart

Hypernyms ("boldness" is a kind of...):

fearlessness (the trait of feeling no fear)

Attribute:

bold (fearless and daring)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "boldness"):

adventurousness; venturesomeness (the trait of being adventurous)

daredevilry; daredeviltry (boldness as manifested in rash and daredevil behavior)

audaciousness; audacity; temerity (fearless daring)

brazenness; shamelessness (behavior marked by a bold defiance of the proprieties and lack of shame)

Antonym:

timidity (fearfulness in venturing into new and unknown places or activities)

Derivation:

bold (fearless and daring)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Impudent aggressiveness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

boldness; brass; cheek; face; nerve

Context example:

he had the effrontery to question my honesty

Hypernyms ("boldness" is a kind of...):

aggressiveness (the quality of being bold and enterprising)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "boldness"):

audaciousness; audacity (aggressive boldness or unmitigated effrontery)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The quality of standing out strongly and distinctly

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

boldness; strikingness

Hypernyms ("boldness" is a kind of...):

conspicuousness (high visibility)

Derivation:

bold (clear and distinct)

 Context examples 

“Afraid!” I said, with a becoming air of boldness, and looking very big at the mighty ocean. “I an't!”

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

The sternest-seeming stoic is human after all; and to "burst" with boldness and good-will into "the silent sea" of their souls is often to confer on them the first of obligations.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Catherine sometimes started at the boldness of her own surmises, and sometimes hoped or feared that she had gone too far; but they were supported by such appearances as made their dismissal impossible.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation, he had a displeasing smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky, whispering and somewhat broken voice; all these were points against him, but not all of these together could explain the hitherto unknown disgust, loathing and fear with which Mr. Utterson regarded him.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

We stood gazing at each other for some time; at last I took the boldness to reach my hand towards his neck with a design to stroke it, using the common style and whistle of jockeys, when they are going to handle a strange horse.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

"I'm Beth. I love it dearly, and I'll come, if you are quite sure nobody will hear me, and be disturbed," she added, fearing to be rude, and trembling at her own boldness as she spoke.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

To inquire what he might have done, if he had had any boldness, would be like inquiring what a mongrel cur might do, if it had the spirit of a tiger.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

These passed away, and left me faint; and then as in its turn faintness subsided, I began to be aware of a change in the temper of my thoughts, a greater boldness, a contempt of danger, a solution of the bonds of obligation.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

He told her of horses which he had bought for a trifle and sold for incredible sums; of racing matches, in which his judgment had infallibly foretold the winner; of shooting parties, in which he had killed more birds (though without having one good shot) than all his companions together; and described to her some famous day's sport, with the fox-hounds, in which his foresight and skill in directing the dogs had repaired the mistakes of the most experienced huntsman, and in which the boldness of his riding, though it had never endangered his own life for a moment, had been constantly leading others into difficulties, which he calmly concluded had broken the necks of many.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

These horrible animals had the boldness to attack me on both sides, and one of them held his fore-feet at my collar; but I had the good fortune to rip up his belly before he could do me any mischief.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)