dare
verb (used without object)
to have the necessary courage or boldness for something; be bold enough.
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dare
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Dare
DarenounVirginia 1587–?, daughter of Lost Colony settlers, the first child born in the Americas to English parents.
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DARE
DAREDictionary of American Regional English.
dare
1 American
[dair]
/ dɛər /
verb (used without object)
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dares,
present (3rd person singular)
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dare,
present (3rd person singular)
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dared,
past participle, past
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durst,
past participle, past (Archaic)
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daring
present participle
verb (used with object)
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dares,
present (3rd person singular)
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dare,
present (3rd person singular)
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dared,
past participle, past
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durst,
past participle, past (Archaic)
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daring
present participle
auxiliary verb
noun
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dares
plural
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a challenge or provocation posed to someone to test their boldness or courage.
I accepted the dare.
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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
idioms
Dare
2
American
[dair]
/ dɛər /
noun
DARE
3
American
dare
British
/ dɛə /
verb
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(tr) to challenge (a person to do something) as proof of courage
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(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!
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rare (tr) to oppose without fear; defy
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(it is) quite possible (that)
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probably: used as sentence substitute
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noun
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a challenge to do something as proof of courage
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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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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daresimple
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daressimple
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have daredperfect
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have durstperfect
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has daredperfect
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has durstperfect
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am daringprogressive
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are daringprogressive
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is daringprogressive
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have been daringperfect progressive
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has been daringperfect progressive
Past
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daredsimple
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durstsimple
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had daredperfect
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had durstperfect
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was daringprogressive
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were daringprogressive
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had been daringperfect progressive
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing dare
David Crosby (1941–2023) Tribute List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Zlateh the Goat"
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Unit 4, Week 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
"Don't you dare think the Australian fruits and ours are the same. Ignorance is pathetic," said one social media comment.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
Sometimes his friends would even dare him to tell a joke about buffalo wings, the kind of dares that can only be conceived by years of friendship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
He sounded, dare say, patient with analysts and their questions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 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
The words race up my throat, begging to be heard, but I don’t dare let them out, because even though it’s the truth, I know I’ll sound ridiculous.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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
Twenty minutes later, they are on stage rehearsing The Happy Dictator; followed by Shaun Ryder, hamming up his part on the 2005 classic Dare!
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 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
Rachel Elizabeth Dare stood at the bottom of the porch steps.
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
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
DARE, as it’s familiarly known, contains records of words that no other dictionary in the world does, gathered over the course of decades by field workers going door-to-door in the United States.
From Time ● Apr. 6, 2015
"How could he DARE?" cried Lady Drew, becoming very awful.
From Tono Bungay by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
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
And, more than ever before, he proved that his hold on the peloton is so suffocating that no one even dares attack him anymore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
The Dare Market app allows people to challenge one another to complete dares for prizes or money, but discourages users from breaking any laws, Rose-Perfito said.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 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
“Arr, matey, who dares to disturb the pirate captain’s slumber?”
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
I had one cancel on me at pickup last week because I dared to confirm his name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
"No one had ever dared do that," said political scientist Luis Salamanca, who noted that up until recently, such statements would have invited harsh political repression.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
Except, as every theater that has lately dared put on a show created by new, experimental or unknown artists knows, it can feel like an insurmountable task.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Curious about where they led, the family walked into one as far as they dared, until there was no light left.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
JonPaul once dared me to bite down on a wad of tinfoil.
From "Liar, Liar" by Gary Paulsen
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
More than thought, I know it Sir, I know they durst not doe These violent rude things, abuse the State thus, But that they have a hope by his ambitions— Duke.
From Beaumont & Fletcher's Works (3 of 10): The Loyal Subject by Francis Beaumont
It was too dark for him to see his watch, and he durst not strike a light.
From Swift and Sure by Herbert Strang
Ismail Pasha's army seemed rather to be retreating than approaching, and from Kucsuk and his son he durst not hope for assistance, as they were his personal enemies.
From The Slaves of the Padishah by M?r J?kai
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 Richard Cobbold
By far, the most daring approach has been Jake Braun’s.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
“I can be more daring in English. I can say the words or verbalize the thoughts with much less inhibition, because I am not as emotionally attached,” he explains.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
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
The cold shocks my body, gripping my spine and muffling my senses as if punishing me for daring to challenge it.
From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer
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.
