fortune favours the bold

idiom

Meaning

Take risks

Origin

disputed origin

From the Latin 'audentes fortuna iuvat', found in Virgil's Aeneid and earlier in Terence.

Examples

SIMPLE

I will apply for the job because fortune favours the bold.

CONTEXTUAL

He decided to invest his savings into the new business, believing that fortune favours the bold.

COMPLEX

Although the market was unstable, the entrepreneur launched her company anyway, confident that fortune favours the bold in times of great change.

Last updated June 7, 2026