Building a Better Vocabulary

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she shocks and comes across to some folks as rude, I admire her
chutzpah; she speaks her mind and gets things done.”

z Chutzpah comes from a Yiddish word meaning “impudence,
gall.” According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the classic
GH¿QLWLRQ RIchutzpah is given by Leo Rosten: “that quality
enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws
himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan.”

z Synonyms for chutzpah include audacity, nerve, impudence,
and insolence; related adjectives include brazen, brash, FKHHN\,
and saucy.

Bravado (noun)

A pretentious, swaggering display of courage intended to impress others.

Braggadocio (noun)


  1. A braggart.

  2. Empty, arrogant boasting.


z Bravado refers to an outward display of bluster and false bravery
used to cover up insecurity and fear. Braggadocio is a related word
referring to someone who shows bravado.

z Bravado comes to us via the Middle French bravado, which in turn
comes from the Old Italian bravata, meaning “bragging, boasting.”
Both of these words ultimately derive from the Italian bravo, the
exclamation used at the end of a performance or show to mean
“Well done!” This connection offers a convenient way to remember
the meaning of bravado. Someone who is displaying bravado is
putting on a “show” of courage.

z The word braggadocio comes from a name coined by Edmund
Spenser in his epic poem The Faerie Queene. Braggadocchio
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