chutzpah

chutzpah Definition

chutz·pah or chutzpa chutz′pa (ho̵ots′pə, kho̵ots′-; -pä)

noun

Informal shameless audacity; impudence; brass

Etymology: Yiddish < Heb

chutzpah Usage Examples

Converse of object

have: Even our old friend George III did not have the chutzpah to pull that.
admire: I have to admire the chutzpah he has in doing this.
take: Equating Vietnam with the war against al Qaeda takes remarkable chutzpah, but the Republicans have it in spades.
show: How could Guy Ritchie, who showed such chutzpah in his first couple of films, have become such a muddled, pretentious bore?
find: Tuesday 7 February 2006 - 04:35pm I find the chutzpah of Cardinal O'Connor something to behold ( see newswatch ).

Adjective modifier

sheer: What deserves a special mention, tho, is the sheer chutzpah of the whole thing.
such: How could Guy Ritchie, who showed such chutzpah in his first couple of films, have become such a muddled, pretentious bore?
certain: The high technology entrepreneurs also seem to have a certain chutzpah that enables them to take risks and ride the hard times relatively unscathed.

Chutzpah Quotes

Chutzpahöthat quality which enables a man who has murdered his mother and father to throw himself on the mercy of the court as an orphan.

—Levant, Oscar

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