To make something or someone bold; to increase boldness or courage.
From 'bold' (Old English 'bald' meaning brave) plus the suffix '-en,' which creates verbs meaning 'to make' or 'to become.' This follows the same pattern as 'darken,' 'lighten,' and 'broaden.'
The suffix '-en' is like a magical wand in English that turns adjectives into verbs—'bolden' follows the same pattern as 'strengthen,' 'shorten,' and 'deepen,' showing how predictable English grammar can be.
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