intrepid

adjective

in·​trep·​id in-ˈtre-pəd 

: characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance

an intrepid explorer

intrepidity

ˌin-trə-ˈpi-də-tē 

noun

intrepidly

in-ˈtre-pəd-lē 

adverb

intrepidness noun

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms

• bold
• brave
• courageous
• dauntless
• doughty
• fearless
• gallant
• greathearted
• gutsy
• gutty
• heroic
• heroical
• lionhearted
• manful
• stalwart
• stout
• stouthearted
• undauntable
• undaunted
• valiant
• valorous

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

Harry allows his ego to lock horns with the intrepid reporter through some serious candor. —David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024

And while cruise companies from Seabourn to Hurtigruten have started sailing here in recent years, intrepid travelers have been skidding across Svalbard Airport’s single-lane runway via Tromso since 1975. —Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 7 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1680, in the meaning defined above

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Kids Definition

intrepid

adjective

in·​trep·​id in-ˈtrep-əd 

: feeling no fear : bold

intrepidity

ˌin-trə-ˈpid-ət-ē 

noun

intrepidly

in-ˈtrep-əd-lē 

adjective

intrepidness noun