temerity
/təˈmɛɹ.ə.ti/noun
temerity is spelled T-E-M-E-R-I-T-Y: 8 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 58,063rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, temerity means “Reckless boldness; foolish bravery” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of temerity is temerities.
How many letters and syllables are in temerity?
| Letters | 8: T-E-M-E-R-I-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 58,063rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is temerity?
Temerity appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 58,063rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce temerity?
- UK /tɪˈmɛɹ.ɪ.ti/
- UK /təˈmɛɹ.ɪ.ti/
- US /təˈmɛɹ.ə.ti/
Temerity has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-temerity.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with temerity?
4 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as temerity from its last stressed vowel (/ɛɹəti/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of temerity
- temerities plural
- timerity
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does temerity mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Reckless boldness; foolish bravery.
- 2
An act or case of reckless boldness.
- 3
Effrontery; impudence.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Temerity in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | témérité |
| German | Kühnheit, Unbesonnenheit, Verwegenheit , Unverschämtheit, Frechheit, Unverfrorenheit |
| Portuguese | temeridade |
| Spanish | temeridad |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does temerity come from?
From Middle English temerite, temeryte, from Old French temerité, from Latin temeritās (“chance, accident, rashness”), from temere (“by chance, casually, rashly”). By surface analysis, temer(arious) + -ity.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).