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

The reversal reinforces the appeals courts’ position in recent years warning against the early dismissal of copyright infringement lawsuits over creative works that’s emboldened creators and holders of rights to sue for idea theft. —Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 30 Apr. 2025

Today, an emboldened Trump offers a quid-pro-quo—rare earths for military assistance—with the world watching, and hardly anyone reacts. —Dan Alexander, Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

The move was taken as a sign of the pressure that comedians and professional organizations face under an emboldened second-term President Donald Trump. —Daniel D'addario, Variety, 16 Apr. 2025

Merz knows this to be true, especially since Trump is likely to turn his back on NATO, leaving the European allies to face an emboldened Putin alone. —Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1569, in the meaning defined above