Bolder means braver, more fearless. Bolder may also mean more impudent, not shy, distinct. Bolder is the comparative form of the adjective bold, the superlative form is boldest. Bold comes from the Old English words beald and bald, meaning bold, brave, confident, strong.
A boulder is an enormous rounded rock. The city of Boulder, Colorado takes its spelling from Boulder Creek, a waterway well known for its gigantic boulders. The word boulder enters the English language in the 1300s from the Swedish word bullersten, which means noisy stone, presumably from the sound of roaring water rushing around a large stone in a stream.
Examples
Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said he was ready to take bolder steps to accelerate inflation, joining in with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who said on Monday the government would work with the BOJ to eliminate the risk of a return to deflation. (Reuters)
Why private sector employers can afford to be a lot bolder when dealing with unions (The Financial Post)
He also cannot move forward on the bolder actions needed to head off a more serious economic slump, such as forcing hopelessly indebted state-owned enterprises to stop borrowing money and shut down. (The Economic Times)
Recent rainstorms may have been responsible for a huge boulder that fell onto a mountain road and is blocking traffic Monday. (The Desert Sun)
About 9 a.m., some boulders and mud slid onto Malibu Canyon Road near the tunnel about two miles north of Pacific Coast Highway, resulting in damage to several vehicles, according to the California Highway Patrol. (Los Angeles Daily News)
And yesterday, construction workers and trucks full of yet more boulders appeared at the bay to further hamper the fishermen’s ability to access and use their vessels. (The Press and Journal)
With the sun shining most days of the year, Boulder is a haven for nature-lovers—and those who enjoy good, natural fun. (National Geographic Travel)