adjective
emboldened
im-BOHL-duhnd
Emboldened (adjective) means Made braver or more confident, usually by some success, encouragement or a sign that there will be no consequences. Example: “Emboldened by the crowd's reaction, she asked a second, sharper question.”
adjective
1
Made braver or more confident, usually by some success, encouragement or a sign that there will be no consequences.
"Emboldened by the crowd's reaction, she asked a second, sharper question."
"Poachers seem emboldened by the lack of patrols."
verb
1
Past tense and past participle of embolden: to give someone the courage or confidence to act.
"The court's ruling emboldened other claimants to come forward."
How to use emboldened
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMade to feel braver about doing something.
When to use it
Neutral to formal; very common in news and political writing.
Memory tip
The usual pattern is "emboldened by" plus the thing that caused the confidence.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
emboldened vs empowered
emboldened vs bolstered
Common pairings
emboldened by
feel emboldened
increasingly emboldened
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Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
_____ by the crowd's reaction, she asked a second, sharper question.
Etymology
From embolden, formed from the prefix em- "to make" and bold.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for emboldened
opened
saddened
awakened
unopened
hardened
darkened
softened
sickened
weakened
burdened
loosened
flattened
See all rhymes for emboldened →
Frequently asked questions
Is emboldened positive or negative?
It can be either, and the context decides. Emboldening a shy student is a good thing; describing extremists as emboldened is a warning that they now feel free to act.
What is the difference between emboldened and empowered?
Emboldened describes a change in nerve, a feeling of daring; empowered describes a change in actual authority or ability. Someone can be emboldened without gaining any real power.
Does emboldened mean made bold in text?
Not in normal use. For text formatting people say bolded or set in bold; emboldened refers to courage, though the typographic sense does turn up occasionally in software documentation.
What is the meaning of emboldened?
"emboldened" (adjective) means made braver or more confident, usually by some success, encouragement or a sign that there will be no consequences.
