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Temerity vs Brash - What's the difference?

temerity | brash |

As nouns the difference between temerity and brash

is that temerity is (not countable) reckless boldness; foolish bravery while brash is leaf litter of small leaves and little twigs as found under a hedge.

As an adjective brash is

impetuous or rash or brash can be (us|colloquial|dated) brittle, as wood or vegetables.

temerity

English

Noun

  • (not countable) Reckless boldness; foolish bravery.
  • * 1569 , Thomas Pearson, trans., "The Second Paradox," in The booke of Marcus Tullius Cicero entituled Paradoxa Stoicorum , T. Marshe (London),
    • Neyther the spightfull temerity and rashnes of variable fortune, nor the envious hart burning and in iurious hatred of mine enemies shold be able once to damnify me.
  • * 1837 , , The Pickwick Papers , ch. 17,
    • One day when he knew old Lobbs was out, Nathaniel Pipkin had the temerity to kiss his hand to Maria Lobbs.
  • * 1886 , , The Mayor of Casterbridge , ch. 21
    • Elizabeth trotted through the open door in the dusk, but becoming alarmed at her own temerity , she went quickly out again by another which stood open in the lofty wall of the back court.
  • * 1913 , , The Return of Tarzan , ch. 21,
    • I am surprised that you, sir, a man of letters yourself, should have the temerity so to interrupt the progress of science.
  • (countable) An act or case of reckless boldness.
  • * 1910 , , "The Blond Beast," Scribner's Magazine , vol. 48 (Sept),
    • Draper, dear lad, had the illusion of an "intellectual sympathy" between them.... Draper's temerities would always be of that kind.
  • (not countable) Effrontery; impudence.
  • * 1820 , , Precaution , ch. 30,
    • He had very nearly been guilty of the temerity of arrogating to himself another title in the presence of those he most respected.

    Synonyms

    * (reckless boldness): audacity, foolhardiness, rashness, recklessness * (effrontery): brashness, cheek, gall, chutzpah

    Related terms

    * temerarious * temerary * temerous

    References

    * * * * * " temerity" in the Wordsmyth Dictionary-Thesaurus (Wordsmyth, 2002) * " temerity" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007) * * Oxford English Dictionary , second edition (1989) * Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996) * *

    brash

    English

    Etymology 1

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • impetuous or rash
    • (Grose)
  • insensitive or tactless
  • impudent or shameless

    • Noun

  • Leaf litter of small leaves and little twigs as found under a hedge.
  • A rash or eruption; a sudden or transient fit of sickness.
  • (geology) Broken and angular rock fragments underlying alluvial deposits.
    • (Lyell)
  • Broken fragments of ice.
    • (Kane)
    Derived terms
    * water brash * weaning brash

    Etymology 2

    Compare Amer. (bresk), (brusk), fragile, brittle.

    Adjective

    (en-adj)
  • (US, colloquial, dated) brittle, as wood or vegetables
    • (Bartlett)
    (Webster 1913) ----