emboldened

adjective

em·​bold·​ened im-ˈbōl-dənd 

: made bold or bolder : instilled with boldness, courage, or resolution

"This is the way it's gonna be," Stoddard announced. He had reason to feel emboldened. So far, Tom Murphy and Dan Burke had backed his every decision.

—Ken Auletta

If the participant moves toward the creature, it avoids contact. But if the person doesn't move, the emboldened sprite edges closer and finally lands on an outstretched hand.

—Ivars Peterson

Synonyms

• adventuresome
• adventurous
• audacious
• bold
• daring
• dashing
• enterprising
• free-swinging
• gutsy
• hardy
• nerved
• nervy
• venturesome
• venturous

Examples of emboldened in a Sentence

not too surprisingly, rock climbing tends to attract the more emboldened seekers of outdoor adventure

Recent Examples on the Web

Ashraf Amra / Anadolu via Getty Images Another U.S. ally will likely be feeling less emboldened. —Chantal Da Silva, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024

But its leaders could really be backed into a corner by an emboldened Trump. —New York Times, 3 Nov. 2024

In the four years since, every single one of those groups has become more and more emboldened and the Constitutional Sheriffs specifically have become more popular. —Leah Feiger, WIRED, 24 Oct. 2024

For years, an emboldened Maduro has flouted democratic norms, maintaining power through repression and brazen electoral theft. —Christopher Sabatini, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1569, in the meaning defined above