Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

audacious

/ɔˈdeɪ.ʃəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.95 in modern English

Syllables: au-da-cious
IPA: /ɔˈdeɪ.ʃəs/

12

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Showing willingness to take bold risks; recklessly daring.

adj

Impudent, insolent.

Example Sentences

"It was an audacious thing for her to attempt, but boldness had often served her turn before."
"That such a safe adaptation could come of The Hunger Games speaks more to the trilogy’s commercial ascent than the book’s actual content, which is audacious and savvy in its dark calculations."
"The audacious hijacking in Paris of a van carrying the baggage of a Saudi prince to his private jet is obviously an embarrassment to the French capital, whose ultra-high-end boutiques have suffered a spate of heists in recent months."
"Cuba’s economy minister described "audacious" measures to tame inflation…"

Etymology

From Latin audacia (“boldness”) + -ious, from audax (“bold”), from audeō (“to be bold, to dare”).

Word Breakdown

Suffix: -ious

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ɔˈdeɪ.ʃəs/
British English: /ɔːˈdeɪ.ʃəs/

Inflected Forms

more audacious (comparative) most audacious (superlative)

Derived Forms

audaciously audaciousness boldacious unaudacious

Frequently Paired Words

audacity outdaciousness

Synonyms

bold daring courageous intrepid venturesome temeritous temerarious impudent presumptuous brazen cheeky

Antonyms

shy cautious prudent

Rhymes With

gracious spacious tenacious ignatius herbaceous voracious flirtatious vivacious ostentatious fallacious efficacious salacious

Questions

How do you pronounce audacious?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɔˈdeɪ.ʃəs/.
What does audacious mean?: Showing willingness to take bold risks; recklessly daring.
Where does audacious come from?: From Latin audacia (“boldness”) + -ious, from audax (“bold”), from audeō (“to be bold, to dare”).

How to pronounce audacious

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “audacious”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɔˈdeɪ.ʃəs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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