bold
Meaning
showing a willingness to take risks; confident and courageous
(of a person, action, or idea) showing an ability to take risks; confident and courageous
(of a color or design) having a strong or vivid appearance
(of type) having thick strokes
Usage
she made a bold decision to start her own company.
the artist used bold strokes of red and yellow in the painting.
the headline was printed in a bold typeface.
Etymology
The word 'bold' originates from the Old English 'bald', which carried the core meanings of being brave, daring, and confident. It shares a common Germanic root with words like Old High German 'bald'. The semantic journey from its ancient sense of physical courage and readiness to act has expanded in Modern English to encompass not only personal fearlessness but also the vividness of appearance and the typographical feature of thick, prominent lettering. This evolution reflects a broadening from a purely behavioral trait to include descriptive attributes of design and form.
Analysis
This is a simplex word of Germanic origin. The Old English form was 'bald', meaning 'brave, daring, confident, strong'. It is related to Old High German 'bald' meaning 'bold, quick'.