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daunt

[dawnt, dahnt]
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verb (used with object)
  1. to overcome with fear; intimidate: to daunt one's adversaries.
  2. to lessen the courage of; dishearten: Don't be daunted by the amount of work still to be done.
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Origin of daunt

1250–1300; Middle English da(u)nten < Anglo-French da(u)nter, Old French danter, alteration of donter (probably by influence of dangier power, authority; see danger) < Latin domitāre to tame, derivative of domitus, past participle of domāre to tame
Related formsdaunt·ing·ly, adverbdaunt·ing·ness, nounun·daunt·ing, adjective

Synonyms

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1. overawe, subdue, dismay, frighten. 2. discourage, dispirit.

Antonyms

2. encourage.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words

dismaydiscouragedisheartensubduedispiritintimidateappalldeterbafflehorrifyscareterrifythwartbullycowconsternatefoilshakebrowbeatoverawe

Examples from the Web for daunt

Historical Examples

  • She felt a dismal suspicion that this was going to daunt her.

    Quaint Courtships

    Various

  • Happy, healthy, hearty and with a fund of good nature that nothing could daunt.

  • All night he ran, blundering in the darkness into mishaps and obstacles that delayed but did not daunt.

    White Fang

    Jack London

  • If they are imaginary, there is too much in this Book against quackery to daunt us.

    The Book of Khalid

    Ameen Rihani

  • These were not considerations to daunt a soldier, a valiant man of war.

British Dictionary definitions for daunt

daunt

verb (tr; often passive)
  1. to intimidate
  2. to dishearten
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Derived Formsdaunter, noun

Word Origin

C13: from Old French danter, changed from donter to conquer, from Latin domitāre to tame
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 daunt

v.

c.1300, "to vanquish," from Old French danter, variant of donter (12c., Modern French dompter) "be afraid of, fear, doubt; control, restrain," from Latin domitare, frequentative of domare "to tame" (see tame (v.)). Sense of "to intimidate" is from late 15c. Related: Daunted; daunting.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper