Temerity — A Vocabulary Story
The Markets of Marrakesh
In the labyrinth of Marrakesh's souk, Diana clutched her mother's shopping list and a fistful of dirhams. She was eleven, visiting her cousin Rashid, and determined to prove she could haggle.
They stopped at a spice stall where saffron glowed like captured sunlight. The merchant, a sharp-eyed man named Hassan, named a price that made Rashid wince.
"Half that," Diana said.
Hassan laughed, astonished by her temerity. "Such temerity from a child! Do you know what saffron costs to harvest?"
Temerity means excessive confidence or boldness; audacity. It also means a reckless disregard for danger or the feelings of others.
"I know what it costs at home," Diana replied steadily, "and you're charging tourists triple."
Rashid tugged her sleeve, mortified by her temerity, but Diana stood firm. A woman selecting cardamom nearby smiled at the girl's temerity and murmured something approving in Arabic.
"You have the temerity of a seasoned trader," Hassan said, stroking his beard. "But temerity alone won't lower my price."
"Then I'll buy from the stall across the square."
She turned to leave. Hassan called her back, chuckling. "Wait, wait. For your temerity, I'll meet you in the middle."
They shook hands. Walking away with a paper twist of saffron, Diana felt taller somehow.
"I can't believe you did that," Rashid whispered.
"Mum says the world rewards people who ask," Diana shrugged. "Even children. Especially children, sometimes."
The spices smelled, she thought, distinctly like victory.
Word Definition
temerity
meaning
excessive confidence or boldness; audacity; a reckless disregard for danger or the feelings of others
synonyms
audacity · nerve · cheek · boldness · effrontery
antonyms
timidity · cowardice
example sentence
She had the temerity to argue with the headmaster in front of the whole class.