daunt

[dawnt, dahnt]

See more synonyms for daunt on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to overcome with fear; intimidate: to daunt one's adversaries.
to lessen the courage of; dishearten: Don't be daunted by the amount of work still to be done.

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 for daunt

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

Antonyms for daunt

2. encourage.

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

Related Words for daunted

dismay, discourage, dishearten, subdue, dispirit, intimidate, appall, deter, baffle, horrify, scare, terrify, thwart, bully, cow, consternate, foil, shake, browbeat, overawe

Examples from the Web for daunted

Contemporary Examples of daunted

Having been raised in the Midwest, I am always astonished by people who are daunted by snow.
Stop Whining About Uber’s Surge Pricing
Daniel Gross
December 16, 2013
He was daunted by the thought of writing it for everyone else.
Meredith Kercher’s Father on ‘Our Daughter’s Murder’
Barbie Latza Nadeau
April 26, 2012

Historical Examples of daunted

But his faith in the France of his imagination was not daunted.
The Raid From Beausejour; And How The Carter Boys Lifted The Mortgage
Charles G. D. Roberts
Maurice was daunted; he stooped and raised the weapon in his hand.
The Downfall
Emile Zola
An entire brigade of Crippses would not have daunted me then.
Kent Knowles: Quahaug
Joseph C. Lincoln
Philip was vanquished, and he knew it, but he was not daunted, he was not distressed.
The Manxman
Hall Caine
See now, let us dance and sing, so that the jailers may know we are not daunted.
Two Penniless Princesses
Charlotte M. Yonge

British Dictionary definitions for daunted

daunt

verb (tr; often passive)

to intimidate
to dishearten

Derived Formsdaunter, noun

Word Origin for daunt

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 daunted

daunt

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.