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Showing results for "daring"
  • present participle of dare.
Synonyms

daring

American  
[dair-ing] / ˈdɛər ɪŋ /

noun

  1. adventurous courage; boldness.

    Synonyms:
    bravery, audacity
    Antonyms:
    caution

adjective

  1. bold or courageous; fearless or intrepid; adventurous.

    Synonyms:
    brave, audacious, venturesome, undaunted, dauntless
daring British  
/ ˈdɛərɪŋ /

adjective

  1. bold or adventurous; reckless

"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

noun

  1. courage in taking risks; boldness

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of daring

First recorded in 1575–85; dare + -ing 1, -ing 2

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.

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Vocabulary lists containing daring

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:

His books on New York City planner Robert Moses and President Lyndon B. Johnson function as both biography and challenge, their hefty page counts daring readers to dive in.

From Salon Sep. 18, 2026

Some of the ways that Tresnjak ups the ante on that daring have diminishing returns.

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 16, 2026

“This is the double-dog daring you. This is straight schoolyard,” said Reinhart, chief economist at BNY Investments.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 10, 2026

Among other posts on X from General Kainerugaba on Thursday was one that read: "I consider myself the most handsome, most daring and glorious Commander who ever lived."

From BBC Sep. 9, 2026

She put her hands on her hips, defiantly, as if daring him to agree.

From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman

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