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
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"Zlateh the Goat"
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Unit 4, Week 3
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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.
See Examples For:
"Seeing the condition of the recently burned lands... we didn't dare to gamble and assume he'll survive."
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
“I dare to say La Opinión was vital; it was like medicine for the spirit,” she said in Spanish.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
“They have to repress themselves. So they want others to be repressed as well. ‘How dare you live outside of this box and have freedom of choice and a comfortable, fun, beautiful life?”
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Kaspersen describes Rachel Entrekin's historic victory at Cocodona 250, one of the most demanding ultramarathons in the world, as an "inspiration" among the elites to "dare to try".
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
Nobody was more shocked than I was by how far this dare was going, and now it was me alone arriving after midnight to walk to the Hotel Piedmont.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Dance-punk artist The Dare went on around midnight.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
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
“Yes, Percy. I will do my best to understand what is happening and advise Miss Dare, but this may take some time. Meanwhile, you should rest. We’ve moved your parents’ car to safety.
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
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 H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
Its performance history is so good that it dares you to try doing any better.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
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
Whereas academic translators might leave us staring into the void of missing lines, Mr. Armitage dares to populate that void.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 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
Here and there an individual or group dares to love, and rises to the majestic heights of moral maturity.
From "While the World Watched: A Birmingham Bombing Survivor Comes of Age during the Civil Rights Movement" by Carolyn Maull McKinstry
They hugged, they kissed, and they drank to a reality that many say they dared not believe would come true.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
“Even the word ‘reconciliation’ was difficult to say in this country—so difficult that I only dared to say it a week ago.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
In the first years, those who dared to object to the war or express criticism of American policy were shut down immediately.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
Buoyed by a youthful sense of invincibility, they dared one another to leap, waiting for another to move, like emperor penguin chicks before a first arctic plunge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Its frame was rust-free, and no dust had dared to settle on the hood.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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 Nannie Lambert
My mother sometimes requested me to go to the Catholic church on days of great ceremony, and I durst not refuse, though I used to go with rage in my heart.
From The Catholic World; Volume I, Issues 1-6 A Monthly Eclectic Magazine by E. Rameur
But the door leading to her husband's room was locked, and she durst not call him, but with an indescribable sinking of heart awaited the endlessly distant dawn.
From The Slaves of the Padishah by M?r J?kai
Tököly's servant durst not go to sleep on the off-chance of awaking at dawn in order to arouse his master, and so the sky had scarcely begun to grow grey when he routed him up.
From The Slaves of the Padishah by M?r J?kai
“I thought about my mom driving herself to the hospital,” she sang, green felt hat perched on her head, daring us not to turn away.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 31, 2026
A police source said that Nunez had raised the alarm because "there is a risk. And it discourages the less daring from taking part."
From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026
Between this film and last year’s wonderful “Pillion,” he’s proven himself a daring performer, willing to approach love from its strangest, most complicated and genuine sides.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2026
Engineers cut the masts free during a daring project, initially estimated to cost £9.5m.
From BBC ● Oct. 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
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