bolden
bolden Lexical Profile
bolden Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To make or become bold, courageous, or confident; to embolden.
"The early success of the pilot program helped to bolden the researchers as they sought funding for the next phase."
To format or render printed or digital text in boldface type so that it stands out visually.
"Please bolden the section headings in the manuscript so the hierarchy of topics is immediately clear to the reader."
Word Nuance & Usage
In contemporary standard English, "embolden" is strongly preferred when referring to giving someone courage or confidence, whereas "bolden" is considered somewhat dated in that sense or used casually in typography for making text bold.
• Rhymes for bolden
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English bolden, derived from the Old English adjective bald (meaning "bold" or "courageous") combined with the verbal suffix -en.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.