Boldly
adv.capable, energeticeveryday
Meaning 1
With visible courage and confidence despite risk or uncertainty.
Reach for it when praising the manner of a decision, statement, or attempt
The engineer spoke boldly about the flaw before it became a failure.
Choose between these
4- playful
unconventional risk gives the act excitement
not when sober moral courage is intended
- warm
fear, pain, or danger is clearly faced
not when confidence appears without genuine peril
- professional
confidently
assurance rather than risk leads
not when the action must challenge convention
- literary
absence of hesitation deserves emphasis
not when the person acted while feeling real fear
Meaning 2
In a strong, highly noticeable visual or expressive style.
Reach for it when describing design, color, or language intended to stand out
The title is boldly printed so passengers can read it from the platform.
Choose between these
3- warm
color or expression feels clear and alive
not when force rather than clarity should lead
- professional
strikingly
immediate visual impact is meant
not when deliberate strength of action is the point
- formal
prominently
placement makes something easy to notice
not when the design itself creates the impact
Said against
3- timidly
- hesitantly
- faintly
It naturally appears in
3- act boldly
The council chose to act boldly while publishing the risks in full.
- speak boldly
She could speak boldly without dismissing quieter views.
- boldly colored
The boldly colored signs remained legible in heavy rain.
The word family
2Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, Adverb sense 1: in a bold manner opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Wiktionary, Adverb sense 2: strikingly opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.