dare

verb

\ ˈder

dared; daring; dares or (auxiliary) dare

Definition of dare

(Entry 1 of 4)

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

1a : 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

dare

noun

Definition of dare (Entry 2 of 4)

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

abbreviation

Definition of DARE (Entry 3 of 4)

Dictionary of American Regional English

Dare

biographical name

\ ˈder

Definition of Dare (Entry 4 of 4)

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

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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

With flashing eyes that tear up at the drop of a cat and a muscular frame made for monument-worthy poses, this Padraic is a strutting contradiction of attraction and repulsion, daring us to question our conventional notions of the heroic. — Ben Brantley, New York Times, "Orlando Bloom and Aidan Turner Are Drenched in Blood in London," 4 July 2018 How dare you?), just imagine Portman on the couch with Senator Kamala Harris talking about the election, Hollywood, and whatever else Stephen Colbert is thinking for them. — Danny Murphy, Marie Claire, "Recasted: Who Would Star in a Charade Reboot?," 11 Feb. 2019 The whole notion of sweethearts, of partners, of families, of love itself has changed radically, which means that now V-day can be a celebration of all the different kinds of affections that dare to speak, to shout, to scream their names! — Lynn Yaeger, Vogue, "31 Fabulous Valentine’s Day Gifts to Celebrate Love in Every Form," 1 Feb. 2019 How dare anyone suggest that Texas, which until 2013 had to seek permission from the Department of Justice to move forward with any changes to its voting procedures, would attempt to short shrift minority voters. — Cristian Farias, Daily Intelligencer, "The Supreme Court Continues to Chip Away at Protections for Minority Voters," 25 June 2018 Hereditary is the next in a long history of horror films that dares you to witness it. — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, "Review: Insanely scary 'Hereditary' isn't easy to shake off," 7 June 2018 Ever daring to lose a case, Antitrust Division chief Makan Delrahim is threatening the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences with antitrust action over a mooted Oscar rule change. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "The Antitrust Avengers," 9 Apr. 2019 Women are routinely harassed just for daring to show up, and edgelords and genuine racists incessantly lob slurs at strangers. — T.c. Sottek, The Verge, "Seeing Ubisoft ban jerks in Rainbow Six is now my favorite part of the game," 17 July 2018 Among the fashion hightlights were Sydney Park’s daring emerald green suit, Janel’s fire engine red dress with a deep v-neck, and Sofia’s full crimson and black gown. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, ""Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists" Stars Celebrate the Upcoming Freeform Premiere," 16 Mar. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

When that dare got old, Shields simply started carrying the gold medal with her and flashed it to her skeptics. — Dan Gelston, The Seattle Times, "Shields wants to lift women’s boxing into mainstream," 12 Apr. 2019 The truths were just as wild as the dares and these actors were more than ready to play. — Allie Gemmill, Teen Vogue, ""On My Block" Stars Play Teen Vogue's "I Dare You"," 5 Apr. 2019 The Australian had swallowed a live slug on a dare back then. — Eleanor Hildebrandt, Popular Mechanics, "How Parasites Can Lie Dormant for Years Before Killing You," 6 Nov. 2018 Inevitably, these types of conversations are awkward and mostly avoid where even the brave dare not go. — WSJ, "The Father-Son Talk in the Age of #MeToo," 30 Oct. 2018 But a stroll alone on the grounds of this Gothic Revival cathedral at night is more of a dare. — Condé Nast Traveler, "8 Most Haunted Cities In America and Why You Should Visit," 18 Oct. 2018 In the video, Warren commiserates with family members (including some Republicans) in her native Oklahoma and, most notably, accepts a dare from Trump to take a DNA test. — Michelle Ruiz, Vogue, "Looks Like a Certain U.S. President Owes Elizabeth Warren $1 Million for the Charity of Her Choice," 15 Oct. 2018 Emma Stone accepting a dance dare on The Ellen Show in 2012. — Sarah Lindig, Marie Claire, "43 Videos of Celebrities Dancing Like No One Is Watching," 31 July 2016 An eight-year-old girl died last year after drinking boiling water through a straw on a dare, according to HuffPost Please don’t pour boiling hot water on yourself or drink it. — Mckenzie Schwark, Teen Vogue, "Hot Water Challenge Results in Second Degree Burns For One Teen," 30 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dare.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

4 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for dare

The first known use of dare was before the 12th century

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More Definitions for dare

dare

verb

English Language Learners Definition of dare

(Entry 1 of 2)

: to have enough courage or confidence to do something : to not be too afraid to do something

: to do (something that is difficult or that people are usually afraid to do)

: to tell (someone) to do something especially as a way of showing courage

dare

noun

English Language Learners Definition of dare (Entry 2 of 2)

: the act of telling someone to do something as a way of showing courage

See the full definition for dare in the English Language Learners Dictionary

dare

verb

\ ˈder

dared; daring

Kids Definition of dare

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to have courage enough for some purpose : be bold enough Try it if you dare. —sometimes used as a helping verb The knight looked so solemn about it that Alice did not dare to laugh.— Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

2 : to challenge to do something especially as a proof of courage I dare you to jump.

3 : to face with courage They dared the dangerous crossing.