Both verbs refer to the doing or carrying out of something criminal, immoral, or otherwise wrong. Commit is the familiar verb we use with crime, specific crimes (commit murder), as well as with sins and errors.  Perpetrate is a strong, but much less common, synonym for commit. It is most frequently applied to criminal acts, but takes a slightly wider range of objects. For example, it is common usage to say perpetrated a hoax, a scam, fraud, or violence, while commit would be used with fraud and violence, but normally not the first two. Perpetrate is used particularly for acts of deception, as in perpetrate a falsehood or perpetrate a myth. This may be because perpetrate can mean not only “carry out or execute,” but also “carry on.” Deceptions, such as hoaxes, scams, and myths can be carried on with, perpetuated, in ways a theft or murder can’t. It has been widely remarked, however, that writers may sometimes simply be confusing perpetrate and perpetuate.

Bold is commonly used to mean courageous or daring (a bold warrior, a bold move). It can also denote another, less admired sort of fearlessness with respect to social rules of polite or appropriate behavior. Bold behavior is forward, presumptuous, or impudent. To soften an action or remark that may overstep proper boundaries, we say “May I be so bold as to…?” Brazen suggests bold to the extreme—that is, blatantly and shamelessly engaging in or attempting acts that are criminal, immoral, or embarrassing. Brazen hypocrisy makes no attempt to conceal itself, nor do brazen defiance, brazen disregard for others’ feelings, brazen attempts at looting, or other brazen violations of the law.

Both adjectives describe someone who assumes others are honest and reliable or believes what they hear unquestioningly. Trusting connotes an innocent or naive belief that people, even strangers, have good motives and one’s best interests at heart. A trusting person is endearing, but someone who is too trusting or blindly trusting is foolish and vulnerable. Being credulous is less forgivable. It suggests an unthinking, foolish, or disingenuous tendency to believe things when there is no evidence at all that the things are true (credulous public, credulous readers, credulous supporters). When the media is said to be credulous, as it frequently is, it is being criticized for abdicating the professional responsibility to be objective and factual.