adventurous
Americanadjective
-
inclined or willing to engage in adventures; enjoying adventures.
- Synonyms:
- venturesome, venturous, daring, bold
-
full of risk; requiring courage; hazardous.
an adventurous undertaking.
adjective
-
Also: adventuresome. daring or enterprising
-
dangerous; involving risk
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adventurous
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Middle French aventureus, aventureux; equivalent to adventure ( def. ) + -ous ( def. )
Explanation
If you're adventurous, you're eager to try new things and take risks. If you can't wait to go kayaking in the Amazon and you're willing to try that stew with the weird things floating around in it, you're adventurous. Adventurous means eager for adventure, and both words come from the Latin for “about to happen” — an adventure always has an element of the unknown. Being adventurous means you’re willing to go where you haven’t been before and do things you’ve never done, even if you don’t know how it’s going to turn out.
Vocabulary lists containing adventurous
Positive Adjectives to Describe People
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Words to Describe a Hero or Heroine
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Travel
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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.
The adventurous English musician issues a meditative album of impressionistic beauty.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 23, 2026
For nearly 25 years, GoPro cameras have gone underwater, glided with parachutes and slipped down ski slopes, allowing the adventurous to record images of their experiences.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Díaz’s adventurous approach is that the future of Latin music does not have to be built around making itself easier to understand for outsiders.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
Who knows if Thursday’s last “Late Show” will be that adventurous?
From Salon • May 21, 2026
To Cabot, Alma Ember seemed just innocent enough to be loved but adventurous enough not to bore the hell out of everyone.
From "Where Things Come Back" by John Corey Whaley
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
