dismay, appall, horrify, daunt mean to unnerve or deter by arousing fear, apprehension, or aversion.
dismay implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something.
dismayed at the size of the job
appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks.
I am appalled by your behavior
horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion.
was horrified by such wanton cruelty
daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage.
a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber
Examples of daunt in a Sentence
the raging inferno didn't daunt the firefighters for a moment
Recent Examples on the WebFrom serene morning walks surrounded by horses and foals being born to daunting videos of beautiful animals getting hurt in the wild, Flying L Ranch is dedicated to sharing the truth.—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 12 May 2024 But though engineers planning spacecraft missions have used a myriad of mathematical tools, in recent decades they’ve been daunted by the increasing abstraction of symplectic geometry.—Leila Sloman, WIRED, 5 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for daunt
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'daunt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French danter, daunter, from Latin domitare to tame, frequentative of domare — more at tame
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