AUDACIOUS Synonyms: 211 Similar and Opposite Words

audacious

adjective

ȯ-ˈdā-shəs

Definition of audacious

as in bold

displaying or marked by rude boldness with an audacious disregard for innocent bystanders, rival gang members opened fire

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in courageous

foolishly adventurous or bold an audacious effort to start her own business with no real plan or funding

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in adventurous

inclined or willing to take risks audacious adventurers risking everything they had for a shot at glory

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of audacious Alejandro Iñárritu’s audacious satire starring Tom Cruise cost between $140 and $180 million to make, and pulled in just $8 million domestically and $20 million globally. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Oct. 2026 The forwards who will one day play on the top two lines of an NHL team do audacious things. — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026 But none of these scenes or memories would have been possible without what may be one of the most audacious play calls in modern football history. — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 3 Oct. 2026 Riz Ahmed, John Goodman and Sandra Hüller also star in Digger, which centers on Cruise’s audacious oil tycoon grappling with having started a natural disaster. — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for audacious

Recent Examples of Synonyms for audacious

Adjective

Both Vitale and Blazy have used bold prints, colors and textures on more classic silhouettes, like the jean, the court shoe or the Mary Jane, to create highly recognizable — yet wearable — clothes and shoes.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
But when hurricanes tear through Southeastern towns, the hot meals and bold yellow signs of the local Waffle House provide another kind of comfort.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of bold

Adjective

Madison has made a smart choice for her biggest role since bagging an Oscar for Anora; her character’s trajectory from Facebook believer through disillusioned outlier to courageous whistleblower is stirringly rendered.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
The far-from-basic residence showcases courageous expression.

— Kelly Allen, Architectural Digest, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of courageous

Adjective

The island’s allure is often centered around exhilaration—surfing on its west coast and exploring its fathomless forests—yet a calmer current of energy runs alongside this adventurous spirit.

— Adrienne Matei, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Oct. 2026
SUVs offered a more adventurous image, available all-wheel drive, greater towing capability in many cases and seemingly endless choices.

— Chris Hardesty, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of adventurous

Adjective

Street-wise, independent travelers wanting to immerse themselves in the city, and live like locals without any of the hassle.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
But the show already had a natural stopping point coming up that would be appropriate, storytelling-wise.

— Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of wise

Adjective

After two daring and provocative ready-to-wear shows, Jean Paul Gaultier creative director Duran Lantink took things down a notch this season.

— Laure Guilbault, Vogue, 7 Oct. 2026
The shoes feature a pointed-toe with a low-cut V-front and a cutout at the center of the vamp, adding another flirty detail to go with the daring pop of red on the sole that is the designer’s signature touch.

— Karla Rodriguez, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of daring

Adjective

Lovato’s dress, courtesy of Fanci Club, was a deep shade of eggplant purple and topped off with a scarlet-red lace bralette, making for a brazen club-friendly outfit only enhanced by the even more noticeable shoes.

— Erin Wisti, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
The photos and trailer released Thursday show Boyle as a brazen, ambitious college student who teams up with Garner’s brainy Ellison to launch their own cryptocurrency business.

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of brazen

Adjective

There were a lot of brave guys who stayed to fight there — and people at home don't know what happened.

— Jonah Kaplan, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
Cagle added that the photo showed a confident, brilliant, brave, polite, gracious, kind and gentle young man.

— Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of brave

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“Audacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/audacious. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of audacious

adjective

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