derring-do
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of derring-do
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English durring-do literally, “daring to do,” erroneously taken as noun phrase; see dare, do 1
Explanation
Looking for a colorful word to describe brave or courageous action? Try derring-do! Your adventurous cousin's stories of derring-do might include climbing mountains, wrestling alligators, and bungee jumping. This old-fashioned word is perfect if you want a funny way to talk about slightly reckless feats of bravery. A series of misprints and misunderstandings led to poet Edmund Spenser's interpretation of derrynge do (intended to mean "in daring to do") as a noun meaning "heroism." He used it that way in his epic poem, The Faerie Queene. Sir Walter Scott was the first to use derring-do as one word, in his 1820 novel Ivanhoe.
Vocabulary lists containing derring-do
Endling: The Last
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A Prayer for Owen Meany
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Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics
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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.
True or, most likely, false, those woolly claims and epic tales of derring-do aren’t the weirdest thing about Marx.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 19, 2026
"I once asked someone who served alongside my father how he had come by that name," says Ms Almonds-Windmill, who has penned books charting his tales of derring-do.
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2025
China hasn’t achieved this technological ascendancy through sheer grit and derring-do.
From Slate ● May 28, 2024
If you like your fantasy novels packed with comedy, action and old-fashioned derring-do, “Promise” is the book for you.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 30, 2024
It seems the boy is always running afoul of a pack of shamblers in the midst of his Missouri adventures, and the boy’s derring-do reminds me of my own exploits.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
