A typographic style in which the letters are displayed thicker and darker than in normal text in order to emphasize them. It is the English word for the German formatting style 'fett' (bold).
example
In der Anleitung sind alle wichtigen Warnhinweise bold gedruckt.
In the instructions, all important warnings are printed in bold.
Usage tips
No declension
As an English loanword, 'bold' is not declined in German like a normal adjective. It always stays in its base form, even when it comes before a noun.
EXAMPLE
Bitte formatiere die Überschrift bold.
Please format the heading in bold.
Register and context
The word 'bold' is mainly used in contexts of typography, design, and computer work. It is the common term in programs like Word or on websites.
EXAMPLE
Klicke auf das „B“-Symbol, um den markierten Text bold zu machen.
Click the 'B' icon to make the selected text bold.
Typical verbs
Common verbs used with 'bold' are 'formatieren' (to format), 'drucken' (to print), 'darstellen' (to display), or 'hervorheben' (to emphasize/highlight).
EXAMPLE
Wichtige Begriffe im Text sollten Sie bold hervorheben.
You should highlight important terms in the text in bold.
Compare with
synonym · confusable
bold vs fett
fat / bold
'fett' and 'bold' mean the same thing in typography: letters are thicker and darker than normal. 'fett' is the normal German word, especially in German menus or instructions. 'bold' is the English word and is often used in software, design programs, or international work environments. They can be confusing because 'fett' has many other meanings, for example with food or colloquially when referring to people. When talking about text, both are possible, but in German 'fett' usually sounds more natural.
bold
Im Textprogramm klickt ihr auf „bold“, wenn die Wörter stärker hervorgehoben werden sollen.
In the word processor, you click on "bold" when the words should stand out more strongly.
fett
Bitte schreibe die Überschrift fett, damit man sie sofort sieht.
Please write the heading in bold so that people see it right away.