daunting
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
Explanation
Something daunting can scare you off. If you have a lot of studying to do, it may seem like a daunting task. Good news is you can get through it by working hard. Or weasel out of it by playing sick. Often used in the phrases “daunting prospect” and “daunting task,” daunting describes something that you are not looking forward to doing. Having to fill out complicated tax forms every year is a daunting task for many people. Once a daunting task is complete, you no longer describe it as daunting, but instead can call it a job well done, or at least another life experience survived.
Vocabulary lists containing daunting
The Alchemist
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"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 1
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Michelle Obama's final address as First Lady (2017)
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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.
Even more daunting with IUL is that if you borrow against the policy or don’t keep feeding the premiums, you can end up depleting the death benefit and the cash value.
From MarketWatch • May 27, 2026
The conductor said the opportunity is "a thrill and an inspiration," but confessed to finding it a little daunting.
From Barron's • May 26, 2026
While picking through the Google Flights options, several of them reached the daunting realization that their basic economy tickets would cost them somewhere between $600 and $700.
From Slate • May 12, 2026
But for people entering the labor force, like new high-school and college graduates, it is daunting.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 9, 2026
She finds their Paris neighborhood daunting, though: “The bustle and activity of people and omnibuses—well it is just awful.”
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
