bold

/boʊld/

Say it: BOHLD

1. adjective Confident and willing to take risks; courageous.
It was a bold decision to quit her job and start a business from scratch.
2. adjective Having a strong, vivid, or prominent appearance.
She painted the wall a bold shade of red.
3. adjective Of a typeface, having thick, heavy lines for emphasis.
Please make sure all the section headings are in bold.

📖 Seen in the wild

It was a bold decision to invest all his savings into a new and unproven startup.
collected by @vocablast

✏️ bold in a sentence

The senator made a bold statement against the proposed legislation.
His designs are characterized by the use of bold colors and geometric shapes.
That's a bold accusation to make without any proof.
To emphasize a point in your document, you can select the text and make it bold.
With a bold heart, she stepped onto the stage to face the massive audience.
The company's new logo is a much bolder and more modern design.
He was a bold explorer, venturing into territories no one had charted before.

🔁 Synonyms & antonyms

daring courageous brave audacious fearless adventurous confident valiant

daring · emphasizes a love of risk and adventure.

courageous · suggests bravery when facing known danger or difficulty.

brave · often implies acting with fortitude despite feeling fear.

audacious · can imply a shocking or shameless level of boldness.

Opposites: timid, cautious, meek, hesitant, shy

🌱 Where it comes from

The word 'bold' traces back to the Old English word 'beald', which meant 'brave, confident, or strong'. This term has Germanic roots, and its core meaning of courage and strength has remained remarkably stable for over a thousand years. The modern sense of 'bold' referring to strong visual things like colors or fonts is a later extension, likening their prominence to a confident, forward personality.

🧩 How it's used

Common patterns:

a bold movea bold statementa bold decisionbold colorsbold fontbold new idea

While 'bold' is generally a compliment implying confidence, its connotation can shift with context. A 'bold leader' is admirable, but a 'bold remark' might be seen as impudent or disrespectful. The word is also heavily used in design and typography to mean visually striking, a sense that is completely neutral. Be mindful of the context to determine whether the word suggests admirable courage or a slight overstepping of social boundaries.

Word family: boldly, boldness

💬 Quick answers

What does 'bold' mean?

Bold primarily means either being courageous and risk-taking or being visually strong and prominent, like a bright color or thick lettering.

What is the difference between 'bold' and 'brave'?

'Brave' typically implies acting in the face of fear, while 'bold' suggests confidence and a forwardness in taking risks, which may not involve fear at all.

Is 'bold' a positive or negative word?

It is usually positive, associated with confidence and courage. However, it can sometimes have a negative connotation, suggesting impertinence or recklessness, as in a 'bold-faced lie'.

What does it mean to bold text?

To bold text means to apply a formatting style that makes the letters thicker and darker than the surrounding text, typically for emphasis.

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