EFFRONTERY Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'effrontery' different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of effrontery are audacity , cheek , chutzpah , gall , hardihood , nerve , and temerity . While all these words mean "conspicuous or flagrant boldness," effrontery implies shameless, insolent disregard of propriety or courtesy. // outraged at his effrontery

Q: When is it sensible to use 'audacity' instead of 'effrontery'?

Although the words audacity and effrontery have much in common, audacity implies a disregard of restraints commonly imposed by convention or prudence. // an entrepreneur with audacity and vision

Q: When might 'hardihood' be a better fit than 'effrontery'?

The words hardihood and effrontery can be used in similar contexts, but hardihood suggests firmness in daring and defiance. // admired for her hardihood

Q: How does the word 'nerve' relate to other synonyms for 'effrontery'?

Nerve , cheek , gall , and chutzpah are informal equivalents for effrontery . // the nerve of that guy // has the cheek to call herself a singer // had the gall to demand proof // the chutzpah needed for a career in show business

Q: When would 'temerity' be a good substitute for 'effrontery'?

The words temerity and effrontery are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, temerity suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger. // had the temerity to refuse

effrontery

noun

i-ˈfrən-tə-rē

Definition of effrontery

as in gall

shameless boldness the little squirt had the effrontery to deny eating any cookies, even with the crumbs still on his lips

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How is the word effrontery different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of effrontery are audacity, cheek, chutzpah, gall, hardihood, nerve, and temerity. While all these words mean "conspicuous or flagrant boldness," effrontery implies shameless, insolent disregard of propriety or courtesy.

outraged at his effrontery

When is it sensible to use audacity instead of effrontery?

Although the words audacity and effrontery have much in common, audacity implies a disregard of restraints commonly imposed by convention or prudence.

an entrepreneur with audacity and vision

When might hardihood be a better fit than effrontery?

The words hardihood and effrontery can be used in similar contexts, but hardihood suggests firmness in daring and defiance.

admired for her hardihood

How does the word nerve relate to other synonyms for effrontery?

Nerve, cheek, gall, and chutzpah are informal equivalents for effrontery.

the nerve of that guy

has the cheek to call herself a singer

had the gall to demand proof

the chutzpah needed for a career in show business

When would temerity be a good substitute for effrontery?

The words temerity and effrontery are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, temerity suggests boldness arising from rashness and contempt of danger.

had the temerity to refuse

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of effrontery Both clever, the younger had the effrontery to be popular and sporty, too. — Esther Freud, Vogue, 2 July 2025 Ani is one of HQ’s best girls, and Madison plays her with a bawdy effrontery and a disarming grin that seems to widen by a mile under neon lights. — Justin Chang, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024 Blocking the medical board from physician regulation is the worst effrontery to medical professionalism, puts the public at unacceptable risk, and might be a place for bad physician actors to be shrouded and protected. — Joel B. Zivot, STAT, 26 Feb. 2024 These companies apparently have the effrontery to resist the attempts to reduce their access to capital being organized, primarily, by a largely unaccountable cabal of activists, financial institutions, and state pension funds. — Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 7 Jan. 2024 See All Example Sentences for effrontery

Recent Examples of Synonyms for effrontery

Noun

What galls, perhaps, is less the accident itself than the absence of a person stepping out from behind the wheel, having a human experience of horror and regret.

— Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Kari was confined to a wheelchair and had to have her gall bladder removed.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of gall

Noun

But finding one’s nerve means fighting the everyday vagaries of low self-esteem, depression, self-deception, insecurity, loss, never-ending grief, and narcissists.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Oct. 2026
Because of the way the substance interacts with the body’s nerves, Schwarz said those who chronically use it face nerve injury and numbness.

— Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of nerve

Noun

An America that seeks justice with dignity and wisdom, not arrogance and gore.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
These fascinating, illuminating episodes raise the question of whether great fiction requires the kind of single-mindedness and even arrogance that McCarthy cultivated.

— New York Times, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of arrogance

Noun

Francis Ford Coppola, on the other hand, had the temerity to suggest during the development stage that maybe more attention could be paid in the script to what was going on with husband Louis.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 6 Sep. 2026
By having the temerity to urge Americans to break away from London, Paine was making the case of open and independent discourse and freedom of the press.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026

Definition of temerity

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efforts

effrontery

effulgence

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“Effrontery.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/effrontery. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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