German word

kühn

Pronunciation

IPA/kyːn/

Meaning

  • adjectivebold

Example

Sie hatte eine kühne Idee.

She had a bold idea.

Illustration for kühn (bold)

More examples

Seine kühne These überraschte das Publikum.

His bold hypothesis surprised the audience.

Core concept

A person or plan moves beyond the safe and familiar despite a real risk, with determination rather than hesitation.

Common phrases

  • kühne These

    bold hypothesis

  • kühne Behauptung

    bold assertion

  • kühnes Vorhaben

    bold plan

Similar words

mutig: Ready to confront danger or difficulty with steady courage.
gewagt: Risky because success is uncertain and failure is quite possible.
dreist: Audacious and insolent, showing little respect for proper limits.
tollkühn: Bold to the point of acting recklessly despite obvious danger.

Definition in German

Mutig und entschlossen handeln oder denken, oft gegen Konventionen und trotz Risiko.

Word origin

Kühn descends from Middle High German küene and Old High German kuoni, an inherited Germanic adjective meaning brave.

Usage tips

  • Kühn often describes an ambitious or unconventional idea, while its use for a person can suggest audacity or recklessness depending on context.

Other meanings

  • braveadjective
  • daringadjective

Opposites

Related words

  • Kühnheitboldnessnoun

Word lists with this word