bodacious
adjective
Did you know?
Some of our readers may know bodacious as a word that figured prominently in the lingo of the 1989 film Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Others may recall the term's frequent use in the long-running "Snuffy Smith" comic strip. Neither the creators of the comic strip nor the movie can claim to have coined bodacious, which began appearing in print in the mid-1800s, but both surely contributed to its popularity. The exact origin of the word is uncertain, but it is most likely a blend of bold and audacious, and it may be linked to boldacious, a now-rare British dialect term meaning "brazen" or "impudent."
Examples of bodacious in a Sentence
Amiel Stanek, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 June 2025
With just a few spritzes and a scrunch, your hair can look bodacious and salon-worthy in seconds.
—Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 10 June 2025
Awakened romantically and politically by Cinderella’s bodacious thoughts, the prince opens his next ball to all citizens of every stratosphere.
—Darren Franich, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2025
Okay, okay — even though my spindly frame and past-his-prime age both immediately disqualify me from membership in this band of bodacious biceps, I am intrigued.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bodacious
Cite this Entry
“Bodacious.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bodacious. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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