temeritous

From temerity +‎ -ous.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /tɪˈmɛɹɪtəs/, /-ətəs/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /təˈmɛɹətəs/, /-ɪtəs/
• Hyphenation: te‧mer‧i‧tous

temeritous (comparative more temeritous, superlative most temeritous)

1. Having temerity; displaying disdain or contempt for danger.

   Synonyms: temerarious, reckless, audacious

   • 1831, John Burns, “Of Inflammation” (chapter II), in The Principles of Surgery, , volume I, London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, & Green, →OCLC, page 211:

     The most temeritous follower of Sangrado can scarcely propose to bleed so as to subdue the local disease, for there are parts indeed of that disease, which never can be removed by venesection.

   • 1872, Smithsonian Institution, M. Marley, , “Lectures on the Phenomena of Flight in the Animal Kingdom”, in Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, , Washington: Government Printing Office, →OCLC, page 260:

     It would be temeritous to absolutely condemn the opinion of observers upon such vague theories and ideas as we possess upon the subject.

   • 1957, William Faulkner, “Gavin Stevens”, in The Town (The Snopes Trilogy), New York: Random House, →OCLC, page 88:

     Not afraid of the extent of hope of which you are capable, but that you—the frail web of bone and flesh snaring that fragile temeritous boundless aspirant sleepless with dream and hope—cannot match it; […]

   • 2002, Brian Cummings, “Literature and the English Reformations 1580-1640”, in The Literary Culture of the Reformation: Grammar and Grace, Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 314:

     Such suppression may involve either sympathy or else disillusion with the ethic of predestination, or it may involve a refusal to acknowledge anything so temeritous as an opinion on the subject.

• Much less common than temerarious.^[1]