Chutzpah
/ˈxʊt.spɑː/noun
Audacious self-confidence or shameless nerve, often verging on insolence.
Did you know?Chutzpah entered English through Yiddish and is ultimately connected to a Hebrew-Aramaic term for brazen impudence, though its deeper origin remains uncertain.
Etymological Timeline
Late Antiquity
Aramaic
ḥuṣpā
“Impudence, shamelessness, or brazen audacity”
Medieval Hebrew
Hebrew
ḥuṣpāh
“Insolence or audacious boldness”
18th–19th Century
Yiddish
khutspe
“Nerve, gall, or shameless audacity”
19th Century
American English
chutzpah
“Audacity or self-confidence, often offensively bold”
Modern English
English
chutzpah
“Bold nerve or brazen self-assurance”
Explore more surprising origins