dare

1 of 3

verb

ˈder 

dared; daring; dares or (auxiliary) dare

auxiliary verb

: to be sufficiently courageous to

no one dared say a word

she dare not let herself love

—G. B. Shaw

intransitive verb

: to have sufficient courage

try it if you dare

transitive verb

1

a

: to challenge to perform an action especially as a proof of courage

dared him to jump

b

: to confront boldly : defy

dared the anger of his family

2

: to have the courage to contend against, venture, or try

the actress dared a new interpretation of the classic role

darer

ˈder-ər 

noun

dare

2 of 3

noun

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

DARE

3 of 3

abbreviation

Dictionary of American Regional English

Synonyms

Verb

• challenge
• defy
• stump

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 Web

Verb

The best episodes dare him to inhabit the two at once, heretic and Talmudist. —Wesley Morris Ron Butler Emma Kehlbeck Ted Blaisdell, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024

Few dared to raise questions of accountability for the past. —Brian Murphy, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2024

Katagiri teases Adelstein about his inability to rest and relax, daring Adelstein to count to 10, and challenging him to do so without being distracted or thinking about anything else. —Diego Ramos Bechara, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024

Still, in a grim political moment that just keeps getting more contentious, watching Youssef—a practicing Muslim born to Egyptian parents in Queens, New York—making a case for peace is a reminder that daring to speak up is always, always worth it. —Emma Specter, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2024

Brave Bessie is known for her daring barnstorming stunts. —Cnt Editors, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Mar. 2024

Whoopi Goldberg — The View moderator, intergalactic Star Trek queen, and anti-cactus warrior — has done what the United States government has never dared in its nearly 250 years of existence: confirm that extraterrestrial life has made contact with humanity. —Joey Nolfi, EW.com, 27 Mar. 2024

In the years since then, death has become a regular part of shows with ambitious narratives as writers have dared to depict increasingly raw layers of ugliness and grief. —Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 26 Mar. 2024

The first aviatrixes had to be daring, maybe even a bit reckless. —Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024

Noun

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

But the kick of its first six songs is that Swift invites the dare. —Wesley Morris, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English dar (1st & 3rd singular present indicative), from Old English dear; akin to Old High German gitar (1st & 3rd singular present indicative) dare, Greek tharsos courage

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense

Noun

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dare

• don't you dare
• for a dare
• how dare (someone)
• I dare say
• on a dare

Kids 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

Dare

biographical name

ˈder 

Virginia 1587–? 1st child born in America of English parents