daring

1 of 2

adjective

dar·​ing ˈder-iŋ How to pronounce daring (audio)
: venturesomely bold in action or thought
daringly adverb
daringness noun

daring

2 of 2

noun

: venturesome boldness
Choose the Right Synonym for daring

adventurous, venturesome, daring, daredevil, rash, reckless, foolhardy mean exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense.

adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence.

adventurous pioneers

venturesome implies a jaunty eagerness for perilous undertakings.

venturesome stunt pilots

daring implies fearlessness in courting danger.

daring mountain climbers

daredevil stresses ostentation in daring.

daredevil motorcyclists

rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought.

a rash decision

reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences.

a reckless driver

foolhardy suggests a recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense.

the foolhardy sailor ventured into the storm

Examples of daring in a Sentence

Adjective a daring reporter who has covered several wars She's a daring innovator in the field of biotechnology. a daring plan to steal the famous painting She decided to wear a daring dress to the party. ideas that are new and daring the artist's daring use of color Noun Skydiving requires both skill and daring. He performs the trick with the daring of a stuntman. See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
The rapper, 30, stepped out in a daring outfit that left little to the imagination while partying in New York City, wearing a see-through black dress covered in pearls, rings, chains and safety pins. Michael Lee Simpson, Peoplemag, 14 Sep. 2023 For those seeking for a less daring outing, construction has begun on a network of cross country skiing, snowshoeing, MoonBiking and snowmobiling trails. Julie Jag, The Salt Lake Tribune, 6 Sep. 2023 The Ultimatum is one of Netflix’s most daring dating shows. Temi Adebowale, Men's Health, 31 Aug. 2023 In the early 2000s, Venus made headlines with her daring outfits, from sleek, revealing dresses to bold patterns while her sister Serena’s iconic black catsuit at the 2002 U.S. Open shook the tennis fashion landscape. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 28 Aug. 2023 Among the many new-car launches held at the 2023 Quail show during Monterey Car Week, one of the most daring might have been Lamborghini's Lanzador concept. Elana Scherr, Car and Driver, 27 Aug. 2023 Every paragraph is marked by Murray’s stylistic brilliance — and daring. Ron Charles, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023 However, after fielding several critical comments, Pugh followed up with another post the next day, defending the daring look. Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 6 Sep. 2023 In general, the Arab cinema selected for festivals boasts a far more daring formal language, a greater variety of genres and dares to confront the taboos of society. Alissa Simon, Variety, 4 Sep. 2023
Noun
All that’s left is to glance over at the faces of your comrades, pale with terror at their own daring. James Robins, The New Republic, 8 Aug. 2023 Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who likes their history with a side of creative daring. Los Angeles Times Staff, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2023 For the daring and the experienced, the biggest waves can be found during the rainier months of September and October. Steven Casale, Travel + Leisure, 17 Apr. 2023 The lunatic daring of Hader reenacting Donald Duck’s Vietnam nightmares at the Weekend Update desk or spending an entire episode of Documentary Now! Erik Adams, Chron, 11 Apr. 2023 Thingvellir National Park, where the daring can dive between tectonic plates; the Strokkur geyser at Geysir, a geothermal area that gave its name, albeit with a different spelling, to all other erupting water features; and the cascading Gullfoss waterfall. New York Times, 3 June 2022 Others are sites that symbolize the daring of America’s character -- Independence Hall and Seneca Falls, Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral. John Archibald | Jarchibald@al.com, al, 5 Mar. 2023 Rogowski’s Aleksei is first met traveling to Poland from Belarus on the pretense of going to a soccer game with his friend Mikhail (Michel Balicki), the two of them full of laddish enthusiasm and daring-do. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2023 Being the master of your own stool destiny may not be the difference between a good comedy special and a great one, but the road to designing a comedy special with thought and vision and daring has to start somewhere. Vulture, 23 May 2022 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'daring.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1575, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1584, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of daring was in 1575

Dictionary Entries Near daring

Cite this Entry

“Daring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daring. Accessed 22 Sep. 2023.

Kids Definition

daring

1 of 2 adjective
dar·​ing
ˈda(ə)r-iŋ,
ˈde(ə)r-
: ready to take risks
daringly adverb

daring

2 of 2 noun
: fearless boldness

More from Merriam-Webster on daring

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