Definition:
: supreme self-confidence
About the Word:
Chutzpah is not only one of the most well-known words of Yiddish origin we have in English, it was also one of the first to be borrowed. Its first known occurrence in English dates back to 1867; many of the other Yiddish words we've borrowed don't appear in print until the middle of the 20th century. Chutzpah comes from the Yiddish khutspe, which is itself descended from the Hebrew ḥuṣpāh. Some speakers of Yiddish feel that this word has been diluted in English use, and no longer properly conveys the monumental nature of the gall that is implied. A common non-lexicographic way to define chutzpah is to say that it is exemplified by the man who kills his parents and then asks the court for mercy, on the grounds that he is an orphan.
Example:
"The turgidity of Clifford's presentation makes it sadistic to dwell on the analysis, but one must, one absolutely must, since such chutzpah requires recognition." — William F. Buckley, Aberdeen American News, 12 June 1973
