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daredevil

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noun

as in cowboy
a person who seeks out very dangerous or foolhardy adventures with no apparent fear that little daredevil has broken an arm and an ankle this year alone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective daredevil contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of daredevil are adventurous, daring, foolhardy, rash, reckless, and venturesome. While all these words mean "exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense," daredevil stresses ostentation in daring.

daredevil motorcyclists

When would adventurous be a good substitute for daredevil?

The synonyms adventurous and daredevil are sometimes interchangeable, but adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence.

adventurous pioneers

When could daring be used to replace daredevil?

In some situations, the words daring and daredevil are roughly equivalent. However, daring implies fearlessness in courting danger.

daring mountain climbers

When is foolhardy a more appropriate choice than daredevil?

The meanings of foolhardy and daredevil largely overlap; however, foolhardy suggests a recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense.

the foolhardy sailor ventured into the storm

Where would rash be a reasonable alternative to daredevil?

Although the words rash and daredevil have much in common, rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought.

a rash decision

When might reckless be a better fit than daredevil?

The words reckless and daredevil can be used in similar contexts, but reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences.

a reckless driver

In what contexts can venturesome take the place of daredevil?

While the synonyms venturesome and daredevil are close in meaning, venturesome implies a jaunty eagerness for perilous undertakings.

venturesome stunt pilots

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of daredevil
Adjective
This summer, as his daredevil character Ethan Hunt, Cruise will be driving a Jeep. Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 22 May 2025 Tom Cruise continues to defy death — and all expectations — with his daredevil stunts. Antonia Blyth, Deadline, 14 May 2025
Noun
The daredevil has gone swimming near glaciers and volcanoes, as well as among hippos, crocodiles and polar bears. Ashley J. Dimella, FOXNews.com, 16 May 2025 The two-hour performance features artists, aerialists, acrobats, comedians and daredevils. Michele Cardon, Oc Register, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for daredevil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daredevil
Adjective
  • People often stereotype crypto investors as reckless, young, or greedy.
    Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 18 June 2025
  • In Colorado, reckless endangerment is a crime, defined as reckless conduct creating a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to another person, punishable by jail and/or a fine.
    DP Opinion, Denver Post, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • Scattered on the shelves are adventure books from my childhood, with the daring adventurer Biggles from the eponymous British series embarrassingly well represented.
    Jack Barlow, Christian Science Monitor, 18 June 2025
  • After the stoppage of play, what had been a daring weeklong pas de deux between this U.S. Open’s entrants and this wonderful old beast of a course devolved into a sopping-wet street fight of survival.
    Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 16 June 2025
Noun
  • Quirky roadside figures include giant cowboys, lumberjacks, and dinosaurs.
    Pat Tompkins, AFAR Media, 18 June 2025
  • Irish actor Jack Hudson has signed for the cast of feature adaptation of Matthew Dickens’s comic The Devil’s Train about Hollywood stuntman Hondo, who has a double life as a time-travelling cowboy.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • The event series is based on The Old Testament’s Book of Genesis and told through the eyes of the courageous and passionate yet flawed women whose descendants would shape three of the world’s great faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
    Denise Petski, Deadline, 27 June 2025
  • Occasionally we are confronted with stories, like the founding of Knox College [established in 1837 by abolitionists committed to educating women and people of color] , where some person or some group of people chose the unpopular, but morally courageous path.
    Hanna Hart, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
Adjective
  • These two siblings have adventurous hearts, enjoy school and share one wish — to live together in a supportive home where the entire family spends time together.
    The Star, Kansas City Star, 21 June 2025
  • But in case an adventurous dish doesn’t sit well with you, Fischer suggests keeping Pepto Bismol or another stomach aid at the ready to provide some relief.
    Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 21 June 2025
Noun
  • And Tony nominee Daniel J. Watts nails his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr. as a real-life devil on the shoulder of the conflicted trailblazer, while Krystal Joy Brown, Kathy Fitzgerald, Ruby Lewis and Kenita Miller turn out stellar performances in multiple roles.
    Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 12 June 2025
  • Photo : Riva Yachts Riva 68 Diable The 68 Diable lives up to its name—a handsome devil that will be the most stunning yacht at Venice.
    Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 28 May 2025
Adjective
  • Sure enough, the seemingly eternally brave Achilles was killed by an arrow to his heel during the Trojan War.
    Steve Henson, Los Angeles Times, 23 June 2025
  • Bloom’s bravest moment of June 16, 1904, comes a few pages later: —Mendelssohn was a jew and Karl Marx and Mercadante and Spinoza.
    Benjamin Hale June 23, Literary Hub, 23 June 2025
Noun
  • He is often depicted as the archetypal lone wolf madman who blew up the Oklahoma City Federal Building in 1995.
    Alex Hinton, The Conversation, 17 June 2025
  • That Wasn’t Filmed, Director Says During the scene, Ethan needs to fly a bi-plane and chase down another bi-plane that Gabriel is flying, and then transfer himself from his plane to wrestle the device from the madman.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 2 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Daredevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daredevil. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

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