dare

1 of 3

verb

dared; daring; dares or (auxiliary) dare

auxiliary verb

: to be sufficiently courageous to
no one dared say a word
she dare not let herself loveG. 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 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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Netanyahu labels as anti-Semitic anyone who dares to criticize his conduct of the war, yet, many of these critics are Israelis, Jews, who identify as Zionists and condemn the mass killing of a civilian population. Ayelet Gundar-Goshen, Time, 7 July 2025 But after a while, a backlash started brewing, one that felt wokeness was overly censorious and punitive of anyone who dared challenge identitarian political ideals. John McDermott, Rolling Stone, 6 July 2025
Noun
In the new Fox version, a group of contestants will live together in a remote location, and grapple not only with dares and stunts but social-media challenges as well. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 23 June 2025 The remarks came in an interview early Monday, when Homan was asked to respond to Newsom’s dare late Sunday to arrest him. Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 9 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for dare

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

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dare.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dare. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

dare

1 of 2 verb
ˈda(ə)r How to pronounce dare (audio)
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

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

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