ENGLISH
REFERENCE

audacity

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US //ɑˈdæsəti// UK //ɔːdˈæsɪti// au·dac·i·ty

n. the quality of being brave or confident in a way that might seem shocking or rude to others.

n. a willingness to take bold risks, or a rude and disrespectful lack of concern for social conventions.


SIMPLE

He had the audacity to ask for a raise after being late every day.

CONTEXTUAL

The young entrepreneur's audacity in challenging the industry giants eventually led to a complete market shift.

COMPLEX

While some historians praise the general's audacity during the winter campaign, others argue that his reckless disregard for logistics nearly doomed the entire army.

Synonyms
Origin

From late Middle English audacite, from Medieval Latin audacitas, from Latin audax (“bold”), from audeō (“I am bold, I dare”).

Usage

Often used in the construction 'the audacity to [verb]' or 'the audacity of [noun]'.

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