ballsy decision

8.6

A bold choice that involves a big risk

noun
/ˈbɔlzi dɪˈsɪʒən/

Offensive

: decisión de cojones (vulgar, coloquial)

That was a real ballsy decision to quit your job!

Examples

The team's ballsy decision to go for it on fourth down paid off.
Making a ballsy decision can sometimes lead to great rewards.
Her ballsy decision to invest everything in the startup surprised everyone.
Making a ballsy decision can set you apart from your competitors.
Her ballsy decision to invest everything in the startup showed her confidence in the project.
The team's ballsy decision to go for it on fourth down demonstrated their commitment to winning.
His ballsy decision to challenge the status quo impressed his colleagues.

Synonyms

ballsy move

vsballsy decision

NSFW

3 8.8

A bold and risky action that shows courage

refers to a risky or daring choice rather than the action itself

Antonyms

cautious

210 2.9

Careful to avoid risk or mistakes

to play it safe

42 3.4

Choose a careful option to avoid risks

Surface Forms

ballsy decision singular

ballsy decisions plural

Morphology

ballsy + decision

The adjective 'ballsy' means 'showing bravery' and when combined with the noun 'decision' yields the straightforward idea of a bold, daring, or risky choice; this follows a standard adjective+noun compositional pattern. Although 'ballsy' is informal/slang (and somewhat vulgar in origin), its evaluative meaning is transparent enough that a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The phrase ballsy decision comes from the slang word balls, which people use to mean courage or boldness. The image of someone 'having big balls' suggests they are willing to take big risks, so a ballsy decision means a 'bold' or 'risky' choice.