dared; daring; dares or (auxiliary) dare
: to be sufficiently courageous to
no one dared say a word
she dare not let herself love—
G. B. Shaw
G. B. Shaw
: to have sufficient courage
try it if you dare
1
2
: to have the courage to contend against, venture, or try
the actress dared a new interpretation of the classic role
1
: an act or instance of daring (see dare entry 1 sense 1) : challenge
crossed the river on a dare
refused to take the dare
2
: imaginative or vivacious boldness : daring
Dictionary of American Regional English
Synonyms
Examples of dare in a Sentence
Verb
Try it if you dare.
We wanted to laugh but didn't dare.
The actress dared a new interpretation of the classic role.
She dared him to dive off the bridge.
She dared me to ask him out on a date. I did, and he said yes.
Recent Examples on the WebLexi Carson, Variety, 29 Apr. 2024
With Willie Totten at quarterback, the Delta Devils lined up receivers in various configurations — among them double slots, five wideouts and all receivers on one side of the field — that dared defenses to catch up to Rice and his fellow receivers.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
No other American filmmaker this millennium dares Stone’s candor about the sins and absolute corruption of political journalism.
—Armond White, National Review, 26 Apr. 2024
No other Arab country claims to hold space for all faiths, yet, many in the West dare to think that Palestinians can be pushed outside of historic Palestine.
—Doris Bittar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2024
Most of us wouldn't dare ask the question, but Tyler Fabregas is a confident 2-year-old boy.
—S. Dev, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2024
In the campaign, Kim poses in daring black and red pieces and debuts SKIMS’ new snake print, donning a halter-style dress and strapless monkini in the bold print.
—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
Advertisement Think of Jets and Sharks decked out in buckskins or Yankee blue, ambling down our grubby streets, swapping mad-dog stares or whistling a few bars of those taunting tunes — pushing, egging, daring someone to start something.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
There will also be a look into Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s deadly, repressive regime (Antidote) and a doc about the daring rescue of animals trapped behind enemy lines in Ukraine, Checkpoint Zoo.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 17 Apr. 2024
Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024
So many legends have heard it as a dare, an invitation, a map to their do-it-yourself future.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024
While it was never spun off as a single, the cut remains an amazing demonstration of the singer-songwriter’s abilities–and apparently his willingness to accept a dare.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Putting Rand in the title of one’s satirical novel feels like a dare, or at least — in a hyper-polarized time — a provocation.
—Ryan Chapman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023
Glenn’s break as a country singer was the result of a dare.
—Erin Osmon, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024
That the recipe reads like the product of a dare is immaterial.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2024
The quotes in the Post article from Nothing and Sunbird come across as a dare more than anything else.
—Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 14 Nov. 2023
Each vamp holds one of the hats to have been stuffed with either names or dares.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 8 Nov. 2023
Verb
Recently widowed Lebanese housewife Fadia, 60, dares to pursue a life outside the home by serving as a standardized patient for medical students to practice interacting with.
—Lexi Carson, Variety, 29 Apr. 2024
With Willie Totten at quarterback, the Delta Devils lined up receivers in various configurations — among them double slots, five wideouts and all receivers on one side of the field — that dared defenses to catch up to Rice and his fellow receivers.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2024
No other American filmmaker this millennium dares Stone’s candor about the sins and absolute corruption of political journalism.
—Armond White, National Review, 26 Apr. 2024
No other Arab country claims to hold space for all faiths, yet, many in the West dare to think that Palestinians can be pushed outside of historic Palestine.
—Doris Bittar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Apr. 2024
Most of us wouldn't dare ask the question, but Tyler Fabregas is a confident 2-year-old boy.
—S. Dev, CBS News, 24 Apr. 2024
In the campaign, Kim poses in daring black and red pieces and debuts SKIMS’ new snake print, donning a halter-style dress and strapless monkini in the bold print.
—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 15 Apr. 2024
Advertisement Think of Jets and Sharks decked out in buckskins or Yankee blue, ambling down our grubby streets, swapping mad-dog stares or whistling a few bars of those taunting tunes — pushing, egging, daring someone to start something.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024
There will also be a look into Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s deadly, repressive regime (Antidote) and a doc about the daring rescue of animals trapped behind enemy lines in Ukraine, Checkpoint Zoo.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 17 Apr. 2024
Noun
Editor’s picks At Nickelodeon, parents stood at the sidelines as kids took center stage: tackling slapstick skits, getting slimed, or completing Fear-Factor-like dares.
—Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 16 Mar. 2024
So many legends have heard it as a dare, an invitation, a map to their do-it-yourself future.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2024
While it was never spun off as a single, the cut remains an amazing demonstration of the singer-songwriter’s abilities–and apparently his willingness to accept a dare.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
Putting Rand in the title of one’s satirical novel feels like a dare, or at least — in a hyper-polarized time — a provocation.
—Ryan Chapman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Nov. 2023
Glenn’s break as a country singer was the result of a dare.
—Erin Osmon, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2024
That the recipe reads like the product of a dare is immaterial.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 20 Jan. 2024
The quotes in the Post article from Nothing and Sunbird come across as a dare more than anything else.
—Ron Amadeo, Ars Technica, 14 Nov. 2023
Each vamp holds one of the hats to have been stuffed with either names or dares.
—Matt Thompson, SPIN, 8 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dare.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near dare
Cite this Entry
“Dare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dare. Accessed 2 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
dare
1 of 2 verb
ˈda(ə)r 
ˈde(ə)r
dared; daring
1
a
: to have enough courage : be bold enough to
try it if you dare
b
—used as a helping verb
no one dared say a word
2
: to challenge to perform an action especially as a proof of courage
I dare you
3
: to face boldly
dared the dangerous crossing
dare
2 of 2 noun
: an act or instance of daring : challenge
dived from the bridge on a dare
Biographical Definition
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share