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• dare
  dare

  verb (used without object)

  to have the necessary courage or boldness for something; be bold enough.
• Dare
  Dare

  noun

  Virginia 1587–?, daughter of Lost Colony settlers, the first child born in the Americas to English parents.
• DARE
  DARE

  Dictionary of American Regional English.

dare

¹ American  

[dair] / dɛər /

verb (used without object)

• dares,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dare,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dared,
  past participle,  past
• durst,
  past participle,  past (Archaic)
• daring
  present participle

1. to have the necessary courage or boldness for something; be bold enough.

   You wouldn't dare!

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verb (used with object)

• dares,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dare,
  present (3rd person singular)
• dared,
  past participle,  past
• durst,
  past participle,  past (Archaic)
• daring
  present participle

1. to have the boldness to try; venture; hazard.

   Synonyms:

   brave

2. to meet defiantly; face courageously.

   They dared the waves of the North Atlantic.

3. to challenge or provoke (a person) into a demonstration of courage; defy.

   We dared him to show up at school dressed that way.

auxiliary verb

1. to have the necessary courage or boldness to (used chiefly in questions and negatives): He dare not mention the subject again.

   How dare you speak to me like that?

   He dare not mention the subject again.

noun

• dares
  plural

1. a challenge or provocation posed to someone to test their boldness or courage.

   I accepted the dare.

2. an action proposed to someone as a challenge or test of boldness or courage: She knew it was going to be a humiliating dare.

   Will he be able to complete the dare?

   She knew it was going to be a humiliating dare.

verb phrase

1. dare say. see daresay.

idioms

1. on a dare, in response to being challenged to attempt something dangerous or bold.

   She scaled the wall on a dare.

Dare ² American  

[dair] / dɛər /

noun

1. Virginia 1587–?, daughter of Lost Colony settlers, the first child born in the Americas to English parents.

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DARE ³ American  

1. Dictionary of American Regional English.

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dare British  

/ dɛə /

verb

1. (tr) to challenge (a person to do something) as proof of courage

2. (can take an infinitive with or without to) to be courageous enough to try (to do something)

   she dares to dress differently from the others

   you wouldn't dare!

3. rare (tr) to oppose without fear; defy

4. 1. (it is) quite possible (that)

   2. probably: used as sentence substitute

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noun

1. a challenge to do something as proof of courage

2. something done in response to such a challenge

Usage

What does dare mean? While the word dare is used widely and variously for bold behavior, a dare popularly refers to a silly or risky challenge a person is compelled to do as part of children's games. What are some other forms of dare?double dareWhat are some other words related to dare?

• truth or dare
• game on

Synonym Usage

Dare, venture imply involvement in risks and dangers. Dare emphasizes the state of mind that makes one willing to meet danger: He dared to do what he knew was right. Venture emphasizes the act of doing something that involves risk: He ventured into deep water.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• darer
  noun
• redare
  verb (used with object)
• undared
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• dares
  plural

Participles

• daring
  present
• dared
  past
• durst
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• dare
  simple
• dares
  simple
• have dared
  perfect
• have durst
  perfect
• has dared
  perfect
• has durst
  perfect
• am daring
  progressive
• are daring
  progressive
• is daring
  progressive
• have been daring
  perfect progressive
• has been daring
  perfect progressive

Past

• dared
  simple
• durst
  simple
• had dared
  perfect
• had durst
  perfect
• was daring
  progressive
• were daring
  progressive
• had been daring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will dare
  simple
• will have dared
  perfect
• will have durst
  perfect
• will be daring
  progressive
• will have been daring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of dare

First recorded before 900; Middle English dar (verb), Old English dear(r), 1st and 3rd person singular present indicative of durran; akin to Old High German gitarran

Explanation

When you challenge or provoke someone to try something risky, it's a dare. If you accept a dare, you're probably trying to prove how brave you are. When you challenge your friend to a dare, you dare him. You might, for example, dare your brother to jump off the garage into a pile of leaves. Another way to dare is to actually be brave: "I admire her so much, because she dares to stand up to bullies." The Old English root of dare is durran, "to brave danger, venture, or presume." If you say, "How dare you?" you're expressing outrage or indignation.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

dare Dare DARE dares dared durst daring

I think she’s, dare I say it, maybe a little more proud of me than she used to be.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

But even if they hadn’t fallen, I dare say that Apple’s focus on hardware over software would have been the right one.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026

To ascribe to particular diets and exercise practices that micro-optimize your body is one thing; you may be putting yourself through trials the Jackass guys would never dare, but at least it’s your own body.

From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026

Most house hunters wouldn’t dare buy a home sight unseen, but at auctions bidders are rarely given a peek inside beforehand.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

I didn’t dare hold out my hand, but I asked in a determined voice, as if I received a package from Brooklyn, New York, America, every day.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

A woman named Mary Dare instructed her mother to go in person to the Union general and plead on her behalf.

From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026

Mr. O’Hanlon is the program’s director of research and author of “To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026

Bloomberg said calls were placed shortly after the April 25 incident “seeking contact with individuals associated with Dare Market and its CEO concerning matters arising directly from those events.”

From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026

They decided to put on the workshops, working alongside local hairdressers Helen Gibson and Lucy Carvalho from the Dare to Dream salon, which offers afro hair care.

From BBC ● Apr. 1, 2026

A week into my initiation, Amar—worried that I was becoming increasingly isolated and obsessive—invited me to join some of the older Dauntless for a game of Dare.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

County Executive Jim Kreuser thanked Beth for his commitment to programs that serve children in the community, including DARE, Boys and Girls Club and the Frank Neighborhood Project.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 27, 2020

The singer riffs on some of his biggest hits, including the Gorillaz' single DARE, telling commuters: "It's coming up, it's coming up, it's... Anchorage!"

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2017

“Although language change is inevitable, it’s too bad to see some of our most colourful expressions going out of use,” said Joan Hall, former editor of DARE.

From The Guardian ● Sep. 5, 2016

Yes, it should be dropped because it is a waste of time and money, and it should be replaced with evidence-based prevention programs, but it is unfair to compare “gay conversion” therapy to DARE.

From Time ● Oct. 12, 2012

"How could he DARE?" cried Lady Drew, becoming very awful.

From Tono Bungay by Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)

One former army officer, who defected to the opposition three years ago, told the BBC she only dares leave the room she rents in Mae Sot twice a month.

From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026

So, Emily dares to eat a Big Arch—the whole thing—and the hosts talk about how this kind of PR cannot be bought.

From Slate ● Mar. 7, 2026

To the viewer who actually dares to pay attention to a Netflix film, the repetition is shocking, practically comical.

From Salon ● Jan. 25, 2026

But when she dares to dream, she pictures a Venezuela with free elections, functioning schools, hospitals and a vibrant cultural scene.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 12, 2026

White pain flashes everywhere in his body as he falls down but dares not cry.

From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung

I had never made a bolero song and I dared to do that this time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026

And with fame and status that transcends the game, Martinez seemingly dared not drop him.

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

There’s been something of a love-hate relationship between viewers and the show, which has sometimes dared its audience to keep watching.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

"They gave a fitting response to those who dared to attack innocent Indians at Pahalgam. The entire nation salutes our forces for their valour," he said in a statement.

From Barron's ● May 7, 2026

And now that I’ve dared to disagree, I’ve erased all the work I’ve done trying to prove that I’m someone I’m not, so that I can start being the someone I am.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Then the boat turned towards me, and stayed its pace, and floated slowly by within my hand’s reach, yet I durst not handle it.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

I had no open space before me; therefore I durst not let him go.

From Ladies on Horseback Learning, Park-Riding, and Hunting, with Hints upon Costume, and Numerous Anecdotes by Lambert, Nannie

Those around him listened to his words with astonishment, and not one of them durst say: "Dismount from your horse, you cannot see ten yards in front of you!"

From The Slaves of the Padishah by J?kai, M?r

I hope so too, Madam; I am sure for any man: and were I otherwise, Of all the services my hopes could point at, I durst not touch at yours.

From Beaumont & Fletcher's Works (3 of 10): The Loyal Subject by Beaumont, Francis

Though he durst scarcely breathe, he felt his heart beat tumultuously against his chest, at the thought of his folly and the possibility of detection.

From The History of Margaret Catchpole A Suffolk Girl by Cobbold, Richard

Plus, we look at new fronts erupting in the Iran war, and a daring mission to recover American POWs from the ocean floor.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 30, 2026

Jason's post, written alongside his brother Paul, said they will take comfort in "knowing that he lived life to the max. Knowing that in life it's either a daring adventure or nothing at all!"

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

That Sybylla does, in fact, resist, choosing independence over love and the possibility of perennial pillow fights, makes “My Brilliant Career” so daring and thrilling.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026

The most daring, the most violent, the "person in the top gear", as one 23-year-old put it, has a chance -- albeit slim -- of rising through the ranks.

From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026

Not little thorns, either, you get me, but knife-size prickles that looked like they were daring you to test them.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

Related Words

• insult
• oppose
• provoke
• resist
• taunt
• threaten