1.
bold and fearless; dauntless; audacious
describes someone whose actions show extreme boldness without any fear or hesitation, often in situations where others would be intimidated
彼は大胆不敵な男だ。
He is a bold and fearless man.
犯人は大胆不敵にも堂々と正面から入った。
The criminal brazenly entered right through the front.
記者会見で大胆不敵な笑みを浮かべて質問に答えた。
He answered questions at the press conference with a fearless smile.
A four-character compound (四字熟語) that can be used either admiringly (for courage) or critically (for recklessness or audacity). Context determines whether the speaker views the boldness positively or negatively.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 大胆不敵な行動: bold and fearless action
- 大胆不敵な態度: a dauntless attitude
- 大胆不敵にも: audaciously (adverbial use)
- 大胆不敵な笑み: a fearless smile
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 大胆: bold — simpler form without the fearlessness component
- 豪胆: brave, stout-hearted — emphasizes inner courage without the sense of defiance
- 厚顔無恥: brazen and shameless — purely negative, about lacking shame rather than having courage
- 勇敢: brave, courageous — straightforwardly positive
ETYMOLOGY:
大胆 (bold, daring) + 不敵 (fearless, defiant). 不敵 literally means "without enemy" — so fearless that one acts as if no opponent exists.