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Derring-do is a quirky holdover from Middle English that came to occupy its present place in the language by a series of mistakes and misunderstandings. In Middle English, dorring don meant simply "daring to do." The phrase was misprinted as derrynge do in a 15th-century work by poet John Lydgate, and Edmund Spenser took it up from there. (A glossary to Spenser's work defined it as "manhood and chevalrie.") Literary author Sir Walter Scott and others brought the noun into modern use.
Examples of derring-do in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Look at you, Bill Eversleigh, getting into feats of derring-do!
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Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
The abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces early Saturday was an unprecedented act of derring-do worthy of a Hollywood spy caper.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
Larger than life does not do him justice; Arnett was a newsman’s newsman, full of tales of derring-do in Vietnam and many other wars around the globe.
—Peter Bergen, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Ziva and Tony aren’t technically spies or cops when the series starts, but old derring-do habits die hard.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
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Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
The abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces early Saturday was an unprecedented act of derring-do worthy of a Hollywood spy caper.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 5 Jan. 2026
Larger than life does not do him justice; Arnett was a newsman’s newsman, full of tales of derring-do in Vietnam and many other wars around the globe.
—Peter Bergen, CNN Money, 18 Dec. 2025
Ziva and Tony aren’t technically spies or cops when the series starts, but old derring-do habits die hard.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for derring-do
Cite this Entry
“Derring-do.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derring-do. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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