temerity
/təˈmɛɹ.ə.ti/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.42 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
4
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
Example Sentences
- "1569, Thomas Pearson, trans., "The Second Paradox," in The booke of Marcus Tullius Cicero entituled Paradoxa Stoicorum, T. Marshe (London), Neyther the spightfull temerity and rashnes of variable fortune, nor the envious hart burning and in iurious hatred of mine enemies shold be able once to damnify me."
- "Jewan Sadit, who ſtood before the prince, obſerving his youthful temerity, threw himſelf between him and danger, and with a nervous arm, wielding a ſharp ſabre, of the hard tempered ſteel of Damiſk, ruſhing upon the tyger, he ſtruck him acroſs the forehead."
- "One day when he knew old Lobbs was out, Nathaniel Pipkin had the temerity to kiss his hand to Maria Lobbs."
- "Elizabeth trotted through the open door in the dusk, but becoming alarmed at her own temerity, she went quickly out again by another which stood open in the lofty wall of the back court."
- "Terror seized me, a horror of my temerity."
- "I am surprised that you, sir, a man of letters yourself, should have the temerity so to interrupt the progress of science."
Etymology
From Middle English temerite, temeryte, from Old French temerité, from Latin temeritās (“chance, accident, rashness”), from temere (“by chance, casually, rashly”). By surface analysis, temer(arious) + -ity.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: *temH-, temerite, temerité, temeritās
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /təˈmɛɹ.ə.ti/
- British English: /tɪˈmɛɹ.ɪ.ti/