dare
verb (used without object)
to have the necessary courage or boldness for something; be bold enough.
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Dare
DarenounVirginia 1587–?, daughter of Lost Colony settlers, the first child born in the Americas to English parents.
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DARE
DAREDictionary of American Regional English.
dare
1 American
[dair]
/ dɛər /
verb (used without object)
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dares,
present (3rd person singular)
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dare,
present (3rd person singular)
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dared,
past participle, past
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durst,
past participle, past (Archaic)
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daring
present participle
verb (used with object)
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dares,
present (3rd person singular)
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dare,
present (3rd person singular)
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dared,
past participle, past
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durst,
past participle, past (Archaic)
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daring
present participle
auxiliary verb
noun
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dares
plural
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a challenge or provocation posed to someone to test their boldness or courage.
I accepted the dare.
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an action proposed to someone as a challenge or test of boldness or courage: She knew it was going to be a humiliating dare.
Will he be able to complete the dare?
She knew it was going to be a humiliating dare.
verb phrase
idioms
Dare
2
American
[dair]
/ dɛər /
noun
DARE
3
American
dare
British
/ dɛə /
verb
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(tr) to challenge (a person to do something) as proof of courage
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(can take an infinitive with or without to) to be courageous enough to try (to do something)
she dares to dress differently from the others
you wouldn't dare!
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rare (tr) to oppose without fear; defy
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(it is) quite possible (that)
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probably: used as sentence substitute
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noun
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a challenge to do something as proof of courage
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something done in response to such a challenge
Usage
What does dare mean? While the word dare is used widely and variously for bold behavior, a dare popularly refers to a silly or risky challenge a person is compelled to do as part of children's games. What are some other forms of dare?double dareWhat are some other words related to dare?
- truth or dare
- game on
Synonym Usage
Dare, venture imply involvement in risks and dangers. Dare emphasizes the state of mind that makes one willing to meet danger: He dared to do what he knew was right. Venture emphasizes the act of doing something that involves risk: He ventured into deep water.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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daresimple
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daressimple
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have daredperfect
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have durstperfect
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has daredperfect
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has durstperfect
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am daringprogressive
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are daringprogressive
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is daringprogressive
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have been daringperfect progressive
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has been daringperfect progressive
Past
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daredsimple
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durstsimple
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had daredperfect
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had durstperfect
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was daringprogressive
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were daringprogressive
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had been daringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of dare
First recorded before 900; Middle English dar (verb), Old English dear(r), 1st and 3rd person singular present indicative of durran; akin to Old High German gitarran
Explanation
When you challenge or provoke someone to try something risky, it's a dare. If you accept a dare, you're probably trying to prove how brave you are. When you challenge your friend to a dare, you dare him. You might, for example, dare your brother to jump off the garage into a pile of leaves. Another way to dare is to actually be brave: "I admire her so much, because she dares to stand up to bullies." The Old English root of dare is durran, "to brave danger, venture, or presume." If you say, "How dare you?" you're expressing outrage or indignation.
Vocabulary lists containing dare
David Crosby (1941–2023) Tribute List
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"Zlateh the Goat"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 4, Week 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
"Don't you dare think the Australian fruits and ours are the same. Ignorance is pathetic," said one social media comment.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
To dare is to do and this kit is nothing if not daring.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
He sounded, dare say, patient with analysts and their questions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
But even if they hadn’t fallen, I dare say that Apple’s focus on hardware over software would have been the right one.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 2, 2026
And as she repositioned herself on the cushioned bench opposite mine, her gaze locked, I didn’t dare speak.
From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan
A woman named Mary Dare instructed her mother to go in person to the Union general and plead on her behalf.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
Shaun Ryder and Roses Gabor assisted on a raucous version of Dare!
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026
Mr. O’Hanlon is the program’s director of research and author of “To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Dare Market founder Isla Rose-Perfito shared a copy of the letter in a post on X this week.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 8, 2026
“Yeah, well. . . let’s not make a habit of it. What are you doing here, Dare? Don’t you know better than to fly into a war zone?”
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
County Executive Jim Kreuser thanked Beth for his commitment to programs that serve children in the community, including DARE, Boys and Girls Club and the Frank Neighborhood Project.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 27, 2020
The singer riffs on some of his biggest hits, including the Gorillaz' single DARE, telling commuters: "It's coming up, it's coming up, it's... Anchorage!"
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2017
“Although language change is inevitable, it’s too bad to see some of our most colourful expressions going out of use,” said Joan Hall, former editor of DARE.
From The Guardian ● Sep. 5, 2016
Yes, it should be dropped because it is a waste of time and money, and it should be replaced with evidence-based prevention programs, but it is unfair to compare “gay conversion” therapy to DARE.
From Time ● Oct. 12, 2012
"How could he DARE?" cried Lady Drew, becoming very awful.
From Tono Bungay by H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
One former army officer, who defected to the opposition three years ago, told the BBC she only dares leave the room she rents in Mae Sot twice a month.
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
Whereas academic translators might leave us staring into the void of missing lines, Mr. Armitage dares to populate that void.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
So, Emily dares to eat a Big Arch—the whole thing—and the hosts talk about how this kind of PR cannot be bought.
From Slate ● Mar. 7, 2026
Olsen: One of the things I really appreciate about the movie is the way that it sort of dares to be enigmatic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2026
We all know that Pa will not return, but no one dares to say it out loud for it will shatter our illusion of hope.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Even the most patchouli-infested precincts of the most fervently peacenik campuses would not have dared to hope for what the two leaders tried to agree to: full elimination of nuclear arms on both sides.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
I had never made a bolero song and I dared to do that this time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
Authorities later covered the foundation of the 2019 statue with a plastic sheet, the resident said, adding: "No one has dared to complain."
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
Curious about where they led, the family walked into one as far as they dared, until there was no light left.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
Koffi leaned over the wall’s ledge as far as she dared, fingers outstretched.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
Then the boat turned towards me, and stayed its pace, and floated slowly by within my hand’s reach, yet I durst not handle it.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
Annie kept the contents of this epistle to herself, but it did not escape her eye that Donald seemed cowed by Coullie's enmity, which the animal never failed to exhibit as much as he durst.
From Ghosts and Family Legends A Volume for Christmas by Catherine Crowe
Though he durst scarcely breathe, he felt his heart beat tumultuously against his chest, at the thought of his folly and the possibility of detection.
From The History of Margaret Catchpole A Suffolk Girl by Richard Cobbold
But the door leading to her husband's room was locked, and she durst not call him, but with an indescribable sinking of heart awaited the endlessly distant dawn.
From The Slaves of the Padishah by M?r J?kai
You much rejoice me now you have hit my meaning, I durst not press ye, till I found your spirits: Continue thus.
From Beaumont & Fletcher's Works (3 of 10): The Loyal Subject by Francis Beaumont
To dare is to do and this kit is nothing if not daring.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
“When you’re in your 40s, it’s like you’re pointing an arrow at your head,” Abend said, as if daring those around you to speculate about whether you get work done.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
That Sybylla does, in fact, resist, choosing independence over love and the possibility of perennial pillow fights, makes “My Brilliant Career” so daring and thrilling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
The most daring, the most violent, the "person in the top gear", as one 23-year-old put it, has a chance -- albeit slim -- of rising through the ranks.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
My heart palpitated in the sickness of fear, and I hurried on with irregular steps, not daring to look about me:
From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley
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.
