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
- adventurously adverb
- adventurousness noun
- nonadventurous adjective
- nonadventurously adverb
- nonadventurousness noun
- unadventurous adjective
- unadventurously adverb
- unadventurousness noun
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.
Some of the first American companies to make a go of it may be smaller, more adventurous types.
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
“Barbara Forever,” a feature debut by Brydie O’Connor, is a beautifully assembled introduction to Hammer’s adventurous life and work.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
The naan selection alone is worth exploring, ranging from classic plain and garlic cilantro to more adventurous versions like goat cheese with togarashi and black truffle with fleur de sel.
From Salon • Mar. 7, 2026
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can ride a pony or take a leisurely trip on a John Deere tractor train.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 23, 2026
I was no longer the happy-go-lucky, adventurous boy who had gleefully looked forward to snatching a free ride on a streetcar.
From "The Boy on the Wooden Box" by Leon Leyson
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.
