сме́лость
smélostʹfeminine
The English phrase 'audacity' can be translated into Russian as сме́лость (smélostʹ) or де́рзость.
Meaning: insolent boldness (noun)
Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| сме́лость | smélostʹ | feminine |
| де́рзость | dérzostʹ | feminine |
Which one should you use?
сме́лость is used for positive or neutral meanings of bravery and boldness. In contrast, де́рзость is used for negative meanings, such as insolent, impudent or disrespectful boldness.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun сме́лость changes to сме́лости in the genitive case, which is used in phrases like 'lack of bravery' (недостаток сме́лости).
How do you pronounce it?
smélostʹ
Did you know?
- The adjective form of де́рзость can be used to describe a 'bold' or 'audacious' artistic style, shifting the meaning from impudence to creative innovation.
- The word де́рзость shares its root with the word де́рзкий, which in classical literature was often used to describe a person with a daring, almost prophetic spirit rather than just someone being rude.
- Russian has a distinct word наглость which is even stronger than де́рзость, implying a shameless or 'cheeky' audacity that ignores all social boundaries.
Examples in context
- Его смелость поражаетHis audacity is astonishing
- Его наглость оскорбила всехHis audacity offended everyone
- Ты обнаглел совсем!You've become so audacious!
- Такая дерзость меня шокировалаSuch audacity shocked me
- безудержная смелостьReckless audacity
- нахальная дерзостьCheeky audacity
- Её сме́лость меня поразила.Yeyo smelost' menya porazila.Her audacity amazed me.
- Эта сме́лость граничит с безумием.Eta smelost' granichit s bezumiyem.This audacity borders on madness.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “audacity” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
