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.
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said the global health challenges "have rarely felt more daunting".
From Barron's • May 18, 2026
Discussing his new role, he said it was a "privilege" but also "daunting", because "we've got massive cuts, but we don't want to cut things that affect residents".
From BBC • May 14, 2026
Technologies that once seemed daunting will become more appealing when you have business problems they can solve.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 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 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.
