- present participle of dare.
daring
Americannoun
adjective
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of daring
Explanation
To be daring is to be bold, adventurous, and a little nervy. It’s a quality possessed by people who tend to take risks. If someone says, “I dare you,” and you always do, you’re a daring person. If you're daring, you dare to do things that are risky and even dangerous. A daring mountain climber goes for the top of Mount Everest, and a daring policeman enters the scariest houses to catch a crook. In comics and movies, superheroes are daring. Even quitting your job to start your own business is daring. The seafarers who first traveled across the globe were daring. Daring people are brave, and daring adventures are pretty exciting.
Vocabulary lists containing daring
Vocabulary from Donald Trump's Victory Speech, November 9, 2016
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Words to Describe a Hero or Heroine
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"Escaping to Freedom" and "Follow the Drinking Gourd"
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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.
“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
The most daring, the most violent, the "person in the top gear", as one 23-year-old put it, has a chance -- albeit slim -- of rising through the ranks.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
One of Britain’s admirals described it as “the most bold and daring act of the age.”
From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026
Her eyes are bold, almost as if they’re challenging the camera, daring it to catch her not smiling.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
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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.