daring

[ dair-ing ]

/ ˈdɛər ɪŋ /

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noun

adventurous courage; boldness.

adjective

bold or courageous; fearless or intrepid; adventurous.

Nearby words

dargah, dari, daric, darien, darier's disease, daring, daringly, dario, dariole, darius, darius i

Origin of daring

First recorded in 1575–85; dare + -ing¹, -ing²

SYNONYMS FOR daring

1 audacity, bravery.

2 dauntless, undaunted, venturesome, audacious, brave.

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ANTONYMS FOR daring

1 caution.

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Related forms

dar·ing·ly, adverbdar·ing·ness, nounqua·si-dar·ing, adjectivequa·si-dar·ing·ly, adverb

un·dar·ing, adjective

Definition for daring (2 of 2)

dare

[ dair ]

/ dɛər /

verb (used without object), dared or (Archaic) durst; dared; daring; present singular 3rd person dares or dare.

to have the necessary courage or boldness for something; be bold enough: You wouldn't dare!

verb (used with object), dared or (Archaic) durst; dared; daring; present singular 3rd person dares or dare.

to have the boldness to try; venture; hazard.

to meet defiantly; face courageously.

to challenge or provoke (a person) into a demonstration of courage; defy: to dare a man to fight.

auxiliary verb

to have the necessary courage or boldness to (used chiefly in questions and negatives): How dare you speak to me like that? He dare not mention the subject again.

noun

an act of daring or defiance; challenge.

Origin of dare

before 900; Middle English dar (v.), Old English dear(r), 1st and 3rd person singular present indicative of durran; akin to Old High German gitarran

SYNONYMS FOR dare

2 hazard, risk, brave.

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Related formsdar·er, nounre·dare, verb (used with object), re·dared, re·dar·ing.un·dared, adjective

Synonym study

1. 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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for daring

The Bees Laline Paull (Ecco) This arresting debut novel is a daring dystopian story set in a beehive.
The Best Fiction of 2014: Ford, Ferrante, Klay, and More|William O’Connor|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Just like Watson, Ansari is daring to elicit antagonism and ignorant accusations on account of his feminist beliefs.
The Perils of Glitzy Celebrity Feminism Having a Moment|Amy Zimmerman|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not that Modern Family would ever make such a daring move at this point.
Stop Hating on ‘Modern Family’ (But Also Stop Giving It Emmys)|Jason Lynch|October 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It is a tale of courage and commitment, daring and determination.
‘The Harness Maker’s Dream:’ The Unlikely Ranch King of Texas|Nick Kotz|September 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Beautiful, daring and smart, Sophie managed to elude arrest on many occasions.
Meet 'The Queen of Thieves' Marm Mandelbaum, New York City's First Mob Boss|J. North Conway|September 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Philip mused a short time; he was once more the daring Vanderdecken.
The Phantom Ship|Frederick Marryat
It was a daring dash, and he dove to the bag with a long slide, but the decision was against him.
The Young Pitcher|Zane Grey
Caracalla scarcely glanced at the face of the daring girl, but he saw how pale she had turned.
A Thorny Path [Per Aspera], Complete|Georg Ebers
It is common to see people of the inferior castes travelling parallel to the road, but not daring to go along it.
Castes and Tribes of Southern India|Edgar Thurston
Having accomplished these valuable aims, he, with great skill and daring, effected a safe retreat to the south-western frontier.
The Life of Jefferson Davis|Frank H. Alfriend

British Dictionary definitions for daring (1 of 2)

daring

/ (ˈdɛərɪŋ) /

adjective

bold or adventurous; reckless

noun

courage in taking risks; boldness

Derived Formsdaringly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for daring (2 of 2)

dare

/ (dɛə) /

verb

(tr) to challenge (a person to do something) as proof of courage

(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!

(tr) rare to oppose without fear; defy

I dare say or I daresay

(it is) quite possible (that)
probably: used as sentence substitute

noun

a challenge to do something as proof of courage

something done in response to such a challenge

Derived Formsdarer, noun

Word Origin for dare

Old English durran; related to Old High German turran to venture

usage

When used negatively or interrogatively, dare does not usually add -s: he dare not come; dare she come? When used negatively in the past tense, however, dare usually adds -d: he dared not come

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for daring (1 of 3)

daring

late 14c., verbal noun from dare (v.).

Word Origin and History for daring (1 of 3)

dare

1590s, from dare (v.).

Word Origin and History for daring (2 of 3)

dare

from first and third person singular of Old English durran "to brave danger, dare; venture, presume," from Proto-Germanic *ders- (cf. Old Norse dearr, Old High German giturran, Gothic gadaursan), from PIE *dhers- "to dare, be courageous" (cf. Sanskrit dadharsha "to be bold;" Old Persian darš- "to dare;" Greek thrasys "bold;" Old Church Slavonic druzate "to be bold, dare;" Lithuanian dristi "to dare," drasus "courageous").

An Old English irregular preterite-present verb: darr, dearst, dear were first, second and third person singular present indicative; mostly regularized 16c., though past tense dorste survived as durst, but is now dying, persisting mainly in northern English dialect. Meaning "to challenge or defy (someone)" is first recorded 1570s.

daring

noun

adjective

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RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of daring

Definition for daring (2 of 2)

dare

verb (used without object), dared or (Archaic) durst; dared; daring; present singular 3rd person dares or dare.

verb (used with object), dared or (Archaic) durst; dared; daring; present singular 3rd person dares or dare.

auxiliary verb

noun

Origin of dare

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for daring

British Dictionary definitions for daring (1 of 2)

daring

adjective

noun

British Dictionary definitions for daring (2 of 2)

dare

verb

noun

Word Origin for dare

usage

Word Origin and History for daring (1 of 3)

daring

Word Origin and History for daring (1 of 3)

dare

Word Origin and History for daring (2 of 3)

dare