newyork.localmean.com/chutzpah
Chutzpah
KHOOT-spuh or HOOT-spuh
Local meaning
Bold nerve, audacity, gall, or striking self-confidence, with the judgment ranging from admiration to disapproval.
Chutzpah comes through Yiddish from Hebrew. English speakers sometimes use it positively for courage or ambition, while traditional and critical uses emphasize outrageous nerve. The surrounding situation determines whether it sounds impressed or offended.
Example in context
- “It took real chutzpah to demand a refund after causing the damage.”
How it is used
Yiddish-derived English broadly used in American speech and strongly associated with New York cultural language.
admiring, incredulous, critical, culturally marked
business, politics, family stories, reactions
Yiddish-derived English broadly used in American speech and strongly associated with New York cultural language.
English use can soften the word into generic confidence, but some speakers hear a stronger sense of shameless gall.
Spelling and scope
Yiddish-derived English broadly used in American speech and strongly associated with New York cultural language.
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chutzpah meaningchutzpah pronunciationchutzpah Yiddish New York
LocalMean keeps common search spellings discoverable without claiming that every borough, community, or generation uses one written form.
Frequently asked questions
Is chutzpah good or bad?
It can be either. It may praise boldness or criticize shameless nerve depending on context.
How do you pronounce chutzpah?
Pronunciations vary, commonly approximated as KHOOT-spuh or HOOT-spuh in English.
Read next
All words →Evidence and further reading
These sources support the regional association, dictionary sense, or broader spread. The entry remains open to correction from New York speakers and qualified reviewers.
- chutzpahMerriam-Webster
Dictionary history and senses of chutzpah as nerve, gall, or striking self-confidence.