bolded words

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "bolded words" is not correct or usable in written English.
To emphasise certain words, we use italics or quotation marks, e.g. "I enjoy reading books about history".

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Evolution: Education and Outreach

WikiHow

The Guardian - Sport

Independent

Forbes

BBC

Huffington Post

The New York Times - Sports

The New York Times

The Guardian - Arts

The Guardian - Books

The Economist

The New Yorker

The Guardian - Music

Los Angeles Times

Encyclopedia Britannica

Functional Linguistics

Journal of Cheminformatics

TechCrunch

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Although the book covers complex subjects, Sampson's writing is clear and easy to read; throughout the book the reader will encounter bolded words that highlight useful technical terms (e.g., p. 43, "First are the lizard-hipped dinosaurs, or SAURISCHIA, including…").

Evolution: Education and Outreach

Use subheadings and bolded words.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Bold words but, alas, the Eagles have worries of their own.

The Guardian - Sport

So we're both saying, 'C'mon guys, get your act together and do this.'" Bold words from the age lobby.

Independent

Bold words.

Forbes

I think we have what is required to do it". Bold words - but it is clear many Arsenal fans also want bold action and trophies.

BBC

Senior Editor of Viral Content and Strategy, The Huffington Post.

Huffington Post

The poem travels through a history of the fight for LGBT rights, from protests, to rallies, to "bold words on signs and mouths," to pride parades.

Huffington Post

After, Rice offered more bold words.

The New York Times - Sports

Iowa State saw the bold words and seethed.

The New York Times - Sports

We are the party that follows its bold words with bold deeds...

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Prefer using the phrase "words in bold" or "boldfaced words" for improved clarity and grammatical correctness.

Common error

Avoid using "bolded words" in academic papers or professional documents. Opt for more formal alternatives such as "words in bold" or rephrase the sentence to avoid the need for this construction.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "bolded words" functions as a noun phrase intended to identify words that have been formatted with a bold font. Despite its common appearance, Ludwig AI indicates that this is grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

30%

Science

25%

Wiki

15%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Encyclopedias

10%

Reference

10%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "bolded words" is used to refer to words emphasized with a bold font, it's considered grammatically incorrect. Ludwig AI indicates that more appropriate alternatives include "words in bold" or "boldfaced words". Although present in various sources, including news and media, it's best to avoid it in formal writing. For clarity and grammatical precision, opting for alternatives will enhance the quality and credibility of your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

words in bold

Reverses the word order for a slightly more natural flow.

boldfaced words

Uses a synonym for 'bolded', maintaining similar meaning.

words with bold formatting

Specifies the type of formatting used on the words.

words in a bold font

Describes the font style of the words.

words styled in bold

Uses the term 'styled' to describe the formatting application.

emphasized words

Focuses on the act of emphasis rather than the specific formatting.

words with emphasis

Focuses on the effect of making certain words stand out.

highlighted words

Shifts the emphasis to visual highlighting rather than bolding.

key terms

Replaces with a specific type of words, assuming the bolding indicates importance.

important words

Highlights the significance of the words rather than their formatting.

FAQs

What is a more grammatically sound alternative to "bolded words"?

Instead of "bolded words", consider using "words in bold" or "boldfaced words".

In what contexts is "bolded words" typically used?

While not strictly correct, "bolded words" may appear in informal writing or technical documentation where conciseness is favored over strict grammatical accuracy.

How can I emphasize words in my writing without using "bolded words"?

You can emphasize words by using italics, quotation marks, or by rephrasing the sentence to highlight their importance. For example, instead of "the bolded words are important", you could say "the important words are "in italics"".

Is there a difference between "bolded words" and "bold words"?

While the meaning is similar, "bold words" is generally considered more grammatically acceptable. "Bolded words" is often perceived as awkward or non-standard.