daunting
Britishadjective
Other Word Forms
Derived 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.
But the daunting expenses pushed all of the hyperscalers but Microsoft to the bond market last year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
"But for me, who's never had a college education, who's never written an essay before, having to write personal statements, fill out CVs, it's been very daunting."
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
Salary negotiations are challenging for many people, but it can be especially daunting when you’re an entry-level worker just starting out in your career.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
At different times, my three children began to ask me daunting questions about God.
From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026
But the more letters you wrote to me, and the more of yourself you gave, the more daunting my task became.
From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer
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.
