temerity

te·mer·i·ty

noun \tə-ˈmer-ə-tē\

plural te·mer·i·ties

Definition of TEMERITY

1

: unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition : rashness, recklessness

2

: a rash or reckless act

Examples of TEMERITY

1. He was punished for his temerity.
2. <she had the temerity to ask my boyfriend if she could go out with him should he and I ever break up>
3. He defeated giant corporations—the auto industry, big pharma—back when no one else was even trying to; he had the temerity to believe that fighting for safety and quality and transparency was a quintessentially American thing to do. —Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2007
4. A wisp of a kid (six feet, 160 pounds) with the temerity to buzz pitches up and in to Barry Bonds, Hudson has a bit of Pedro in him. —ESPN, 24 July 2000
5. … all the while you're balancing your two prevailing interests: recording her words to later use against her—because, she, too, had the temerity to be relatively famous and attractive (with a master's from Penn)—while also, more pressingly, trying to get invited back to her apartment. —Dave Eggers, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, 2000

Origin of TEMERITY

Middle English temeryte, from Latin temeritas, from temere blindly, recklessly; akin to Old High German demar darkness, Latin tenebrae, Sanskrit tamas

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to TEMERITY

Synonyms: audaciousness, audacity, brashness, brass, brassiness, brazenness, cheek, cheekiness, chutzpah (also chutzpa or hutzpah or hutzpa), crust, face, gall, nerve, nerviness, pertness, presumption, presumptuousness, sauce, sauciness, effrontery

Related Words: arrogance, assurance, cockiness, confidence, hardihood, overconfidence, sanguinity, self-assurance, self-confidence; discourteousness, disrespect, impertinence, impoliteness, impudence, incivility, inconsiderateness, inconsideration, insolence, rudeness, ungraciousness; back talk, sass; swagger, swash

Near Antonyms: bashfulness, diffidence, faintheartedness, hesitancy, modesty, shyness, timidity, timidness, timorousness; civility, courteousness, courtesy, gentility, graciousness, mannerliness, manners

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Synonym Discussion of TEMERITY

temerity, audacity, hardihood, effrontery, nerve, cheek, gall, chutzpah mean conspicuous or flagrant boldness. temerity suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger <had the temerity to refuse>. audacity implies a disregard of restraints commonly imposed by convention or prudence <an entrepreneur with audacity and vision>. hardihood suggests firmness in daring and defiance <admired for her hardihood>. effrontery implies shameless, insolent disregard of propriety or courtesy <outraged at his effrontery>. nerve, cheek, gall, and chutzpah are informal equivalents for effrontery <the nerve of that guy> <has the cheek to call herself a singer> <had the gall to demand proof> <the chutzpah needed for a career in show business>.

Rhymes with TEMERITY

alterity, asperity, austerity, celerity, dexterity, legerity, posterity, prosperity, severity, sincerity