: tending to overwhelm or intimidate
a daunting task
Examples of daunting in a Sentence
Few things are more daunting than having to speak in front of a large crowd.
Shakespeare's plays can be daunting for a young reader.
Recent Examples on the Web
But if last season’s Heat run to the NBA Finals as a No. 8 seed was improbable, another run to the championship series as a No. 8 seed appears unfathomable at the moment when looking at the daunting challenge ahead and the personnel missing.
—
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
The legalese can be daunting, and insurance companies have a team of lawyers at their disposal.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Naturally, complications ensue once Phillipps and company are en route, but no obstacle ever proves especially daunting for the team.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024
The sportsbook layout is fairly easy to understand, with much information presented right up front — which might be a bit daunting for new bettors.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
That leaves the Fed to balance its precarious inflation fight against daunting risks.
—Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The most daunting part of the moviemaking journey was finding the man to embody a near-mythic figure like Jackson.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
While historical data suggests daunting odds of experiencing the eclipse under totally clear skies at this time of year, meteorologists now feel increasingly confident in models that show some parts of the country looking golden.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2024
Other parts of the state face similarly daunting risks — including Highway 1, particularly where it’s perched along the coast near Big Sur.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2024
The legalese can be daunting, and insurance companies have a team of lawyers at their disposal.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Naturally, complications ensue once Phillipps and company are en route, but no obstacle ever proves especially daunting for the team.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024
The sportsbook layout is fairly easy to understand, with much information presented right up front — which might be a bit daunting for new bettors.
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
That leaves the Fed to balance its precarious inflation fight against daunting risks.
—Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 11 Apr. 2024
The most daunting part of the moviemaking journey was finding the man to embody a near-mythic figure like Jackson.
—Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024
While historical data suggests daunting odds of experiencing the eclipse under totally clear skies at this time of year, meteorologists now feel increasingly confident in models that show some parts of the country looking golden.
—Eric Henderson, CBS News, 6 Apr. 2024
Other parts of the state face similarly daunting risks — including Highway 1, particularly where it’s perched along the coast near Big Sur.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'daunting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near daunting
Cite this Entry
“Daunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daunting. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
daunting
adjective
daunt·ing
ˈdȯnt-iŋ 
: tending to overwhelm or intimidate
a daunting task
dauntingly
adverb
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