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Showing results for "daunting"
  • present participle of daunt.
Synonyms

daunting

British  
/ ˈdɔːntɪŋ /

adjective

  1. causing fear or discouragement; intimidating

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Explanation

Something daunting can scare you off. If you have a lot of studying to do, it may seem like a daunting task. Good news is you can get through it by working hard. Or weasel out of it by playing sick. Often used in the phrases “daunting prospect” and “daunting task,” daunting describes something that you are not looking forward to doing. Having to fill out complicated tax forms every year is a daunting task for many people. Once a daunting task is complete, you no longer describe it as daunting, but instead can call it a job well done, or at least another life experience survived.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This quartet’s membership overlaps with D.C.’s most visceral new hardcore bands — Hologram, Asesinato, SQK Fromme — but together on a gnarled new three-song demo, Daunting Nightmare generates something even more fearsome than anticipated.

From Washington Post • Feb. 2, 2022

Daunting, yes, but most shelters will provide free training, as well as the needed gear — formula, bottles, blankets, a heating pad.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 4, 2021

Daunting as the tie is, there remains reason for optimism.

From The Guardian • Feb. 19, 2018

Daunting as that may sound, Anheuser has a track record of extracting startling profits from companies it acquires.

From New York Times • Sep. 15, 2014

“The daughter of Lord Indra and the daughter of the Dharma Raja? Daunting indeed. Before you leave the Court of the Sky, there is something I’d like to tell you.”

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

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