daredevil
Americannoun
-
daredevils
plural
adjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of daredevil
Explanation
Do you love the thrill of a terrifying rollercoaster or the risky challenge of doing dangerous tricks on your skateboard? Then you're a daredevil, someone who is recklessly adventurous. A daredevil loves adventure and excitement and tends not to think much about the safety or wisdom of their actions. The man who walked on a wire between the towers of the World Trade Center was a daredevil, and the woman who was the first to ride a barrel over Niagara Falls was also a daredevil. This word is also used as another name for a stunt performer who attempts risky tricks in front of a live audience.
Vocabulary lists containing daredevil
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Uh-Oh: Synonyms for "Dangerous"
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Put on a Bold Face: Synonyms for "Brave"
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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:
On the screen, in a series of daredevil adventures, the actor had extricated himself from a hundred impossible predicaments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
A daredevil social media free-climber nicknamed the "Spider-Man of Yemen" has died after falling into a volcanic crater in the country's south-west.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-storey tower to watch Alex Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix.
From Barron's ● Jan. 25, 2026
In chaotic situations, he says, the brain of the average daredevil doesn’t produce much cortisol, a chemical involved in the fight or flight response.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
“Delighted, we watched the daredevil make an excellent landing in very poor visibility,” said Léon.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
It hires restless aviators and eccentric daredevils to transport crazy stuff that no one else will.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
Monday's Republic Day parade featured Russian helicopters and planes, alongside dancers and motorcycle daredevils.
From Barron's ● Jan. 28, 2026
It was a white-knuckle, high-wire business fit only for daredevils.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2025
Mountain goats are high-elevation daredevils, learning to balance upon the steepest of rocky edifices soon after they are born.
From New York Times ● May 1, 2024
The airplane, in 1914 a doubtful plaything of daredevils, emerged from the war a perfected thing of the air.
From Artificial Light Its Influence upon Civilization by Matthew Luckiesh
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
