as in discouraging
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Dissimilar Words
as in frustrating
to lessen the courage or confidence of
the raging inferno didn't daunt the firefighters for a moment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of daunting
Ian King, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
While seemingly simple, choosing a new moisturizer can be a daunting task.
—John Monaco, InStyle, 1 Apr. 2026
Nomita Vaish-Taylor, The Spruce, 3 Apr. 2026
After struggling against winning teams at the beginning of the season, the Lakers faced a daunting stretch of games that included Minnesota, Denver and Houston along with a six-game trip.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for daunting
Adjective
But Matt Brittin, who was last week appointed the BBC’s 18th director-general in 104 years, has a more daunting in-tray than predecessors.
—Ian King, CNBC, 1 Apr. 2026
While seemingly simple, choosing a new moisturizer can be a daunting task.
—John Monaco, InStyle, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
While mixing pieces can feel daunting, Johnson recommends starting with one big piece like a bed or sofa and building around that.
—Nomita Vaish-Taylor, The Spruce, 3 Apr. 2026
After struggling against winning teams at the beginning of the season, the Lakers faced a daunting stretch of games that included Minnesota, Denver and Houston along with a six-game trip.
—Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for daunting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daunting
Adjective
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Both hosts often wept as Guthrie described her emotional journey through the increasingly discouraging investigation into her mother’s whereabouts.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
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Still, the latest uptick is a discouraging sign for house hunters as the spring buying season kicks off.—
Mary Cunningham,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Rolling off the treble knob helps a little, but even dialed back all the way, that upper-mids/low-treble range remains troublesome.—
Mark Knapp,
PC Magazine,
1 Apr. 2026
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And the struggles up front affected what was already troublesome quarterback play after Conner Harrell’s knee injury in Week 4.—
Hunter Bailey,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The keenness of my letdown was dismaying.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
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But there’s another side to this story, equally dismaying, which is the abandonment of dissidents as a public cause in the West.—
Bret Stephens,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There are plenty of inconveniences frequent air travelers have become accustomed to, from long security lines to shrinking overhead storage bins, but few are as disconcerting as heavy turbulence in flight.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2026
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About 20 miles southwest of Indianapolis, Mooresville residents report finding dirty water filters turning a disconcerting brown.—
Karl Schneider,
IndyStar,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Transplant Shock is Avoidable Inviting the opportunity for transplant shock has got to be one of the most disheartening gardening mistakes out there.—
Tessa Cooper,
Southern Living,
1 Apr. 2026
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Sure, the Longhorns (21-15, 9-9) endured an up-and-down regular season and suffered a disheartening loss to Ole Miss in the first round of the SEC Tournament.—
Thomas Jones,
Austin American Statesman,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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That opened the door for Ramon Laureano to deliver the knockout blow in the form of an RBI single to left, ultimately handing the Red Sox a dispiriting 3-2 loss.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
4 Apr. 2026
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Uddin said there are challenges to operating a food pantry at a high volume, but none more dispiriting than having to say no.—
Zareen Syed,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The Heat repeatedly allowed open shots and unchallenged forays to the basket in another demoralizing and disgraceful defensive display, one made all the worse by the fact the Heat is fighting for playoff seeding.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
30 Mar. 2026
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Nothing is more demoralizing for a team trying to regain its balance than having its outcome determined by the third inning.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Daunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daunting. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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