chutzpah
UK[ˈxʊt.spə]US[ˈxʊt.spɑː]
n
extreme self-confidence or audacity, especially of a kind that is considered rude or shocking
Etymology
The word 'chutzpah' entered English in the late 19th century as a direct borrowing from Yiddish, where it is spelled 'חוצפּה' (khutspe). The Yiddish term itself derives from the Hebrew 'חֻצְפָּה' (ḥuṣpâ), meaning 'insolence' or 'audacity'. This etymological journey reflects the transmission of cultural concepts, where a term for a specific, often socially transgressive, brand of boldness was absorbed into English to fill a lexical gap. The word's retention of its original phonetics, including the initial voiceless uvular fricative [x], underscores its status as a vivid, unassimilated import that conveys a meaning more nuanced than its simple English synonyms like 'nerve' or 'gall'.
Analysis
This is a loanword from Yiddish, adopted as a single lexical unit into English. It is not productively segmented using English morphemes.
Examples
It took a lot of chutzpah to ask for a raise on his first day.
She had the chutzpah to criticize the chef after sending the meal back twice.
The plan succeeded not through careful strategy but through sheer chutzpah.