intrepid

adjective

in·​trep·​id in-ˈtre-pəd How to pronounce intrepid (audio)
: characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance
an intrepid explorer
intrepidity noun
intrepidly adverb
intrepidness noun

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Don't Be Afraid to Learn About Intrepid

If you’re going to name a ship, whether an aircraft carrier or an interstellar starship, you could do worse than to name it the Intrepid, as both the United States military and Star Trek writers have done, respectively. (Technically “Intrepid” is a class of Trek ships that includes the Voyager, etc., but you get the drift.) Intrepid, after all, comes from the Latin word intrepidus, itself formed by the combination of the prefix in-, meaning “not,” and the adjective trepidus, meaning “alarmed.” When not designating sea or space vessels, intrepid aptly describes anyone—from explorers to reporters—who ventures bravely into unknown territory, though often you’ll see the word loaded with irony, as in “an intrepid couch surfer endeavored to watch every installment of the beloved sci-fi series in chronological order.” Intrepid word lovers may be interested to know of the existence of trepid, meaning “fearful”; it predates intrepid but most are too trepid (or simply unaware of its existence) to use it.

Examples of intrepid in a Sentence

The heroes are intrepid small-business owners, investigative reporters, plaintiffs and their lawyers, and, of course, Nader himself and his grass-roots organizations. Jonathan Chait, New York Times Book Review, 3 Feb. 2008
Author and explorer Dame Freya Stark was one of the most intrepid adventurers of all time. (T. E. Lawrence, no slouch in the travel department himself, called her "gallant" and "remarkable.") Kimberly Robinson, Travel & Leisure, December 1999
Meanwhile, the intrepid Florentine traveler Marco Polo had been to China and brought back with him a noodle dish that became Italian pasta … Norman F. Cantor, The Civilization of the Middle Ages, 1993
an intrepid explorer who probed parts of the rain forest never previously attempted
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.
If the selling slows down, shorts will start covering, and some intrepid longs will wade in. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 23 June 2025 On the eve of Section 28 passing into law, activists staged a series of protests, not least of all the intrepid group of lesbians who abseiled into parliament, and more who successfully invaded the BBC news live on air. Claire Lynch june 3, Literary Hub, 3 June 2025 Drive-up access from Kangerlussuaq offers intrepid travelers the extremely rare chance to place foot to ground on a unique piece of living natural history. Katherine Alex Beaven, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 May 2025 The comments are brimming with intrepid flip-flop wearers who have worn these shoes on cruise ships, uneven European sidewalks, slippery hiking trails in Hawaii, and more. Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for intrepid

Word History

Etymology

Latin intrepidus, from in- + trepidus alarmed — more at trepidation

First Known Use

1680, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of intrepid was in 1680

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Cite this Entry

“Intrepid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intrepid. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

intrepid

adjective
in·​trep·​id in-ˈtrep-əd How to pronounce intrepid (audio)
: feeling no fear : bold
intrepidity noun
intrepidly adjective
intrepidness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on intrepid

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