A Word A Day : Temerity



Wednesday, 27th February 2008 : Today's Word is ...

Temerity



( Noun )



Pronunciation : te-mérre-tee


Definition



1. Reckless confidence that might be offensive

2. The state of being foolishly bold or brash

3. The trait of being willing to undertake things that involve risk or danger


Etymology:


15th century - Latin - temeritas - rashness - temere - rashly, blindly


Synonyms


brashness, foolhardiness, incautiousness, rashness, recklessness, temerariousness, nerve, audacity, assurance, audacity, boldness, brass, carelessness, daring, effrontery, forwardness, gall, hardihood, hastiness, heedlessness, impertinence, impetuosity, imprudence, impudence, impulsiveness, indiscretion, intrepidity, intrusiveness, overconfidence, pluck, precipitancy, precipitateness, precipitation, presumption, rashness, rudeness, thoughtlessness, venturesomeness

Temerity is daring or recklessness.

Timidity is fearfulness or hesitancy.


Effrontery means shameless boldness or insulting presumptuousness.

Affront is a deliberately offensive act or open insult.


Antonyms


care, caution, cowardice, forethought, hesitation


Contextual Examples:


• Our waiter at the restaurant had the temerity to tell me that he thought that my table manners were atrocious.

• The mountain climber had more temerity than skill or sense.

• I shall have the temerity to ask for more than her forgiveness,' said the Squire.

• Pontellier entered, wondering who had the temerity to disturb him at that hour of the morning.

• Facts have long since upstaged fiction and the novelistic imagination now contents itself with documenting incidents it wouldn't have the temerity to invent.

• I repeat it, to be matter of profound astonishment and intense wonder, that Nathaniel Pipkin should have had the temerity to cast his eyes in this direction.


Related Words:


temerariousness : Noun


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