Definitions
01brave
B1 · Intermediate
adj. brave and not afraid to take risks.
adj. showing a willingness to take risks; confident and courageous.
日本語:大胆※
Español:denodado
“It was a bold move to quit her job and start her own company.”
“The CEO made a bold decision to pivot the company's entire strategy toward renewable energy despite the initial financial risks.”
Synonyms
02visually striking
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. strong, bright, or very easy to see.
adj. having a strong or vivid appearance; standing out clearly to the eye.
“The artist used bold colours like bright red and orange in the painting.”
“The new logo features bold geometric shapes that remain legible even when scaled down for mobile applications.”
Synonyms
03thick text
B1 · Intermediate Computing
adj. printed with thick, dark lines to make it stand out.
adj. denoting a typeface with thick strokes, used for emphasis or headings.
日本語:ボールド※
“Important words in the instructions are printed in bold type.”
“The editor suggested using a bold font for the subheadings to improve the document's overall hierarchy and readability.”
04rude or disrespectful
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. showing a lack of respect; being too confident in a rude way.
adj. impudent or presumptuous; lacking the proper respect for someone in authority.
“The student was very bold to talk back to the teacher like that.”
“His bold interruption of the chairman was seen as a serious breach of professional etiquette.”
Antonyms
05naughty
B2 · Upper Intermediate British English · Dialect
adj. behaving badly or being disobedient.
adj. behaving in a naughty or insolent manner; frequently applied to children.
“The bold child refused to eat his vegetables and threw his plate.”
“She told her son he was being a bold boy for teasing the dog during dinner.”
Usage
Commonly used in Ireland and parts of the UK to describe children.
Synonyms
Antonyms
06to format text
B2 · Upper Intermediate Computing Informal
v. to make text look thicker and darker on a screen or page.
v. to apply a bold weight to a font or specific string of text.
“You should bold the main points so they are easier to find.”
“The software allows users to bold entire paragraphs with a single keyboard shortcut.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “bold” in context.
Verb
01. appear in bold
“Please ensure that all the keywords in the document appear in bold.”
verb + prep + adj
02. make a bold statement
“The designer wanted to make a bold statement with her latest winter collection.”
verb + noun
Adjective
03. bold colors
“The artist is known for using bold colors that immediately grab the viewer's attention.”
adj + noun
04. bold enough to ask
“I wasn't bold enough to ask the CEO for a pay rise during our first meeting.”
adj + infinitive
05. bold move
“Quitting her stable job to start her own business was a very bold move.”
adj + noun
06. strikingly bold
“The new architectural design for the city library is strikingly bold and modern.”
adv + adj
Noun
07. bold font
“Use a bold font for the headings so they are easier to read.”
adj + noun
Real-World Examples
“I have highlighted some bits in bold for key information for you.” “A young adult might see himself as bold if he risked harm to save a friend.” “Hunt is not afraid to voice her bold ambitions.” “Some say now is the time for bold ideas.” Etymology
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”), sfrontato (“bold, daring, insolent”), both from Latin frons (“forehead”).
From Middle English bolden, balden, from Old English baldian, bealdian, from Proto-Germanic balþōną, related to balþaz (see above). Cognate with Old High German irbaldōn (“to become bold, dare”).
From Middle English bold, from Old English bold, blod, bolt, botl (“house, dwelling-place, mansion, hall, castle, temple”), from Proto-Germanic budlą, buþlą (“house, dwelling”), from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- (“to grow, wax, swell”) or bʰuH-. Cognate with Old Frisian bold (“house”) (whence North Frisian bol, boel, bøl (“house”)), North Frisian bodel, budel (“property, inheritance”), Middle Low German būdel (“property, real estate”). Related to build.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/bold
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0