temerarious

comparative more temerarious · superlative most temerarious

1. Characterized by temerity; recklessly daring or bold.First known use early 16th c.

   Primarily and supremely man is always the pioneer of life, adventuring onward into the unknown, alone with his own temerarious, dauntless soul.

   1922, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “The Birth of Sex”, in Fantasia of the Unconscious, New York, N.Y.: Thomas Seltzer, →OCLC, page 152

   4 more examples

   […] he furthwith by thinſtinct of yͤ ſpirite of god, in repꝛoche of all ſuch temerarious bold & blind iudgement, geuē vpon a mā whoſe inward mind and ſodain change they cannot ſee, ſhoꝛtly proued thē al deceiued, […]

   1534 (date written; published 1553), Thomas More, “A Dyalogue of Comforte agaynste Tribulacyon, […]. Chapter XVII.”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, book II, page 1206, column 2

   To look back upon the past year, and see how little we have striven and to what small purpose; and how often we have been cowardly and hung back, or temerarious and rushed unwisely in; and how every day and all day long we have transgressed the law of kindness;—it may seem a paradox, but in the bitterness of these discoveries, a certain consolation resides.

   1888, Robert Louis Stevenson, “A Christmas Sermon”, in Across the Plains: With Other Memories and Essays, London: Chatto & Windus, […], published 1892, →OCLC, part IV, pages 314–315

   It was a very bright, hot winter's day, and try as I might, I could not bring myself to think of any danger. I believe that in this way most temerarious deeds are done; the doer has become insensible to danger, and his imagination is clouded with some engrossing purpose.

   1910, John Buchan, “A Great Peril and A Great Salvation”, in Prester John, London; Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson and Sons, →OCLC, page 361

   With a vicious lunge the elephant swerved to the right to dispose of this temerarious foeman who dared intervene between himself and his intended victim; but he had not reckoned on the lightning quickness that could galvanize those steel muscles into action so marvelously swift as to baffle even a keener eyesight than Tantor’s.

   1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Return of Tarzan, New York: Ballantine Books, published 1963, page 132

   Synonyms: audacious, brash, foolhardy, reckless, daredevil, madcap · Antonyms: timorous