Audacious
/ɔːˈdeɪ.ʃəs/noun
Showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks or act with insolent confidence.
Did you know?Audacious comes from Latin roots tied to daring and boldness, and it shares deep ancestry with words like *dare*, *durable*, and *during* through the same ancient idea of strength and endurance.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*deh₃-
“to give; grant”
Latin
Latin
audāx
“bold, daring, venturing”
Latin
Latin
audāc-
“daring, bold”
Old French
OF
audacieux
“bold, presumptuous”
Middle English
English
audacious
“bold, insolent”
Modern English
English
audacious
“showing boldness or daring, often with a sense of nerve or insolence”