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:
“They have to repress themselves. So they want others to be repressed as well. ‘How dare you live outside of this box and have freedom of choice and a comfortable, fun, beautiful life?”
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
“We had these all-female festivals in Olympia, and we had our own publicist, and they were like, how dare we?” says Brownstein.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
The portions were sized for pleasure, not a food-coma dare.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
"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
“You brat! How dare you bring that in my house!”
From "The Manifestor Prophecy" by Angie Thomas
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
Dare will serve 40% of his sentence in prison, the rest in the community on licence.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 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
The whole community Caitlin—especially the students and teachers at Virginia Dare Middle School.
From "Mockingbird" by Kathryn Erskine
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
The class is no longer called DARE, but the concepts are the same.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 2, 2015
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
Ride with them and with me, if you DARE, Captain Hector Coles, and see who goes furthest!
From The Coward A Novel of Society and the Field in 1863 by Henry Morford
Its performance history is so good that it dares you to try doing any better.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 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
Here McDermott’s inspired staging demonstrated that Glass’ forgiving personal portrait of Walt Disney makes it the quintessential Hollywood opera that no one dares bring to squeamish Hollywood.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 5, 2026
“Arr, matey, who dares to disturb the pirate captain’s slumber?”
From "The Strangers" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
In the first years, those who dared to object to the war or express criticism of American policy were shut down immediately.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
I had one cancel on me at pickup last week because I dared to confirm his name.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
Except, as every theater that has lately dared put on a show created by new, experimental or unknown artists knows, it can feel like an insurmountable task.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 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
But because the danger was so grave, hardly any Negro students dared to cross the color line.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
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
He durst not strike a light to look at his watch, but surely there had been time to go and come and go again.
From Settlers and Scouts by Herbert Strang
It was too dark for him to see his watch, and he durst not strike a light.
From Swift and Sure by Herbert Strang
Yffim Beg durst not say to Hassan Pasha that he also had bad sight; he might just as well have pronounced his own death sentence at once.
From The Slaves of the Padishah by M?r J?kai
Those around him listened to his words with astonishment, and not one of them durst say: "Dismount from your horse, you cannot see ten yards in front of you!"
From The Slaves of the Padishah by M?r J?kai
Watching Petit step onto the wire lets us see them differently, not as the site of catastrophe but as the setting for something beautiful and absurdly daring.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
“This is the double-dog daring you. This is straight schoolyard,” said Reinhart, chief economist at BNY Investments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Among other posts on X from General Kainerugaba on Thursday was one that read: "I consider myself the most handsome, most daring and glorious Commander who ever lived."
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
The Briton, famed for his flamboyant personality and daring designs, was also fired from his job as creative director of Dior after the incident surfaced.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
Mom gives me this look, eyebrows up, head cocked, daring me to talk back.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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.
