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Derring-do is a quirky holdover from Middle English that came to occupy its present place in the language by a series of mistakes and misunderstandings. In Middle English, dorring don meant simply "daring to do." The phrase was misprinted as derrynge do in a 15th-century work by poet John Lydgate, and Edmund Spenser took it up from there. (A glossary to Spenser's work defined it as "manhood and chevalrie.") Literary author Sir Walter Scott and others brought the noun into modern use.
Examples of derring-do in a Sentence
Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 5 Apr. 2024
Each play essential parts in the action, and do their fair share of conniving and derring-do to aid or defeat the grand, evil purposes of the bad guys.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2024
Trump’s baseless accusations and his flat-out lies are as essential to his public identity as are his tales of financial derring-do, his coarse language, his prejudices and his listing toward autocracy.
—Robin Givhan, Washington Post, 26 Mar. 2024
Feats of derring-do, bouts of inspiration and a hearty show of strength for Nordic animation are but three of many motifs underscoring this year’s Cartoon Movie, which runs over March 5 – 7 in Bordeaux.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 5 Mar. 2024
Now married to his own Prince Charming and father to a 10-year-old daughter, Cedric recounts his own exploits and feats of derring-do to his young daughter preparing to follow in his footsteps.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 20 Feb. 2024
The Wheel of Death, by far the most memorable part of the show during its U.S. premiere in San Francisco in 2007, remains a heart-thumping feat of derring-do that rivets the viewer from start to finish.
—Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 26 Jan. 2024
This last movement, with its not-so-reckless abandon, was the big thrill of the night, Cho quickening his dialogue with the orchestra, intensifying his feats of dynamic derring-do, even applying a bit of barroom swagger here and there.
—Michael Andor Brodeur, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024
The results include a handful of showdowns—one in the Khan family house, several in outer space—and some derring-do with spacecraft.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 9 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'derring-do.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Derring-do.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derring-do. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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