daring

1 of 2

adjective

dar·​ing ˈder-iŋ 

: venturesomely bold in action or thought

daringly

ˈder-iŋ-lē 

adverb

daringness noun

daring

2 of 2

noun

: venturesome boldness

Synonyms

Adjective

• adventuresome
• adventurous
• audacious
• bold
• dashing
• emboldened
• enterprising
• free-swinging
• gutsy
• hardy
• nerved
• nervy
• venturesome
• venturous

Noun

• bottle [British slang]
• bravery
• courage
• courageousness
• daringness
• dauntlessness
• doughtiness
• fearlessness
• gallantry
• greatheartedness
• guts
• gutsiness
• hardihood
• heart
• heroism
• intestinal fortitude
• intrepidity
• intrepidness
• moxie
• nerve
• pecker [chiefly British]
• prowess
• stoutness
• valor
• virtue

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

General manager Chris MacFarland’s daring and dramatic midseason overhaul of his roster has remade, reinvented and reinvigorated the Avalanche. —Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025

Which is what the U.S. will be celebrating next year, marking our daring break from Great Britain and the founding of the nation. —Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2025

Noun

His formal daring was inextricably linked to the emotional turbulence in his life: The frantic innovation of his films is a projection of a mind and a heart at unrest. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Feb. 2025

There’s an existential premise at work regarding the socially destructive power of technology, and Tregenza, having dropped hints along the way, eventually reveals it with an artistic shock of enormous daring. —Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1575, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1584, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for daring

• airing
• bearing
• blaring
• caring
• chairing
• charing
• erring
• fairing
• flaring
• glaring
• haring
• herring

Kids Definition

daring

1 of 2 adjective

dar·​ing

ˈda(ə)r-iŋ,

ˈde(ə)r-

: ready to take risks

daringly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb

daring

2 of 2 noun

: fearless boldness