different between temerity vs impetuous

English

Etymology

temer(arious) +? -ity, from Middle English temerite, temeryte, from Old French temerité, from Latin temerit?s (“chance, accident, rashness”), from temer? (“by chance, casually, rashly”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /t??m???ti/, /t??m???ti/
• (US) IPA^(key): /t??m???ti/
• Rhymes: -???ti

Noun

temerity (countable and uncountable, plural temerities)

1. (uncountable) Reckless boldness; foolish bravery.

   Synonyms: audacity, foolhardiness, rashness, recklessness

   • 1569, Thomas Pearson, trans., "The Second Paradox," in The booke of Marcus Tullius Cicero entituled Paradoxa Stoicorum, T. Marshe (London),

     Neyther the spightfull temerity and rashnes of variable fortune, nor the envious hart burning and in iurious hatred of mine enemies shold be able once to damnify me.
2. (countable) An act or case of reckless boldness.
   • 1910, Edith Wharton, "The Blond Beast," Scribner's Magazine, vol. 48 (Sept),

     Draper, dear lad, had the illusion of an "intellectual sympathy" between them.... Draper's temerities would always be of that kind.

3. (uncountable) Effrontery; impudence.

   Synonyms: brashness, cheek, gall, chutzpah

Related terms

• intemerate
• temerarious
• temerary
• temerous

Translations

Further reading

• Webster, Noah (1828) , “temerity”, in An American Dictionary of the English Language
• temerity in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• “temerity” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "temerity" in the Wordsmyth Dictionary-Thesaurus (Wordsmyth, 2002)
• "temerity" in Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary (Cambridge University Press, 2007)
• “temerity”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–present.
• Oxford English Dictionary, second edition (1989)
• Random House Webster's Unabridged Electronic Dictionary (1987-1996)
• temerity in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• temerity at OneLook Dictionary Search

English

Etymology

From Middle English impetuous, from Old French impetueux, from Late Latin impetu?sus (“violent”), from Latin impetus (“attack, violence”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /im?p?t?u?s/

Adjective

impetuous (comparative more impetuous, superlative most impetuous)

1. Making arbitrary decisions, especially in an impulsive and forceful manner.
   • 1880, John Weeks Moore, Complete Encyclopaedia of Music, "Beethoven, Louis Van":

     But it was natural, that the impetuous, restless young artist should incline more to excess of strength than of delicacy in his playing.

2. Characterized by sudden violence or vehemence.
   • 1794, Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, vol. II, chapter I:

     He stands, and views in the faint rays
     Far, far below, the torrent's rising surge,
     And listens to the wild impetuous roar

   • 1917 rev. 1925, Ezra Pound, "Canto I"

     Unsheathed the narrow sword,

     I sat to keep off the impetuous impotent dead ...

Synonyms

• impulsive
• hasty
• rash
• hotheaded

Derived terms

• impetuously
• impetuousness

Translations