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Temerity vs Hardihood - What's the difference?

temerity | hardihood |

As nouns the difference between temerity and hardihood

is that temerity is (not countable) reckless boldness; foolish bravery while hardihood is unyielding boldness and daring; firmness in doing something that exposes one to difficulty, danger, or calumnity; intrepidness.

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

    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) * *

    hardihood

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • Unyielding boldness and daring; firmness in doing something that exposes one to difficulty, danger, or calumnity; intrepidness.
  • * 1902 , Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness :
  • Their talk, however, was the talk of sordid buccaneers: it was reckless without hardihood , greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage; there was not an atom of foresight or of serious intention in the whole batch of them, and they did not seem aware these things are wanted for the work of the world.
  • * 1971 , John Morris Dorsey, Psychology of Emotion :
  • Once endured it is enjoyed as my owndom. Elsewhere I refer to this process of enduring hardship as the only possible source of hardihood .
  • Excessive boldness; foolish daring; offensive assurance.