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

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

Photos shared by the brand Seventy One Gin — which was serving up golden martinis throughout the evening — showed the mom-of-four rocking two daring outfits for the occasion. —Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025

The actor infamously played Jeff, the hunky diner manager who dared to come between the show's endgame couple. —Raechal Shewfelt, Entertainment Weekly, 23 Oct. 2025

Noun

Wallace’s 6-year-old All-Star challenge lingers like one of Murray’s motivational dares to a young teammate. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 22 Oct. 2025

The player must complete the dare inside when a balloon pops or claim their treat. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Oct. 2025

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

Rhymes for dare

• air
• ayre
• bahr
• bare
• blare
• care
• chair
• claire
• ere
• err
• eyre
• fair

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