English

Noun

hardihood ‎(countable and uncountable, plural hardihoods)

1. Unyielding boldness and daring; firmness in doing something that exposes one to difficulty, danger, or calamity; intrepidness.
   • 1902, Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness:

     Their talk, however, was the talk of sordid buccaneers: it was reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage; there was not an atom of foresight or of serious intention in the whole batch of them, and they did not seem aware these things are wanted for the work of the world.

   • 1971, John Morris Dorsey, Psychology of Emotion:

     Once endured it is enjoyed as my owndom. Elsewhere I refer to this process of enduring hardship as the only possible source of hardihood.

2. Excessive boldness; foolish daring; offensive assurance.

Related terms

• hardihead

Translations