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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:

That Sybylla does, in fact, resist, choosing independence over love and the possibility of perennial pillow fights, makes “My Brilliant Career” so daring and thrilling.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 13, 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

Detectives turned to a daring undercover operation - bugging Michael Stewart's home and car, placing listening devices on his brother's car, and sending two covert officers into Michael's life.

From BBC Jul. 10, 2026

The fusion of financial success and creative daring also defined the parallel world of independent cinema in the 1990s.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 10, 2026

They hid in the dark, cramped space, barely daring to speak except to thank their neighbour when he visited.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

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