dare
verb (used without object)
to have the necessary courage or boldness for something; be bold enough.
had dared
-
past perfectof dare.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
Earlier in the afternoon, one speaker had dared to envision college kids spurning the College Democrats and College Republicans, and joining the “College Abundists” instead.
From Slate ● Jun. 9, 2025
Buoyed by the belief inspired by narrower scorelines against Ireland and Scotland, Wales fans had dared to dream before kick-off, snarling and singing through England's warm-up.
From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2025
Mr. McCarthy of California had dared Mr. Gaetz to “bring it on.”
From Washington Times ● Oct. 5, 2023
“We were laughing so hard because he had dared to turn their rhetoric back on them,” Dolan said.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 27, 2023
A decade earlier in the underground prison, Shin’s aging cellmate had dared to talk about food outside the camp.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
