Word of the Day - 09/21/25
temerity
/tə'mɛrɪti/(n.): fearless daring
He had the temerity to challenge the reigning champion despite his lack of experience, displaying fearless daring.
Word Origin
The word 'temerity' originates from the Latin 'temeritas', meaning 'rashness', 'indiscretion', or 'thoughtlessness'. This in turn derives from the Latin adverb 'temere', which means 'rashly', 'blindly', or 'without good reason'. The suffix '-itas' is used to form nouns of state or condition, equivalent to the English '-ity'. Thus, 'temerity' signifies the state or quality of being rash.
A closely related word is 'temerarious', which is an adjective directly meaning 'reckless' or 'rash'. While not extremely common, both 'temerity' and 'temerarious' share the same Latin root 'temere'.
As a reminder, here are all of the words from this week:
antediluvian duress profuse
temerity
See if you can remember all of this week's words! Here is a sentence that includes all seven, followed by a version that simplifies them to help you remember:
Despite the antediluvian rules and the tortuous legal system, her acumen allowed her to see that the client's profuse apologies were made under duress, and she showed great temerity in demanding a brief respite for them.Despite the extremely old rules and the complex legal system, her sharp judgment allowed her to see that the client's abundant apologies were made under pressure, and she showed great boldness in demanding a brief break for them.