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
Alison Fox, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
And still … No matter how many platitudes thrown his way for mental makeup, expert preparation and popularity in the locker room, Stidham faces a daunting challenge.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Jan. 2026
Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Putting money towards stock for the first time may be daunting—but the executive says there are several ways for even the most risk-weary professionals to get their foot in the door.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for daunting
Adjective
Learning to ski can be a daunting task, especially as an adult.
—Alison Fox, Outside, 20 Jan. 2026
And still … No matter how many platitudes thrown his way for mental makeup, expert preparation and popularity in the locker room, Stidham faces a daunting challenge.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 19 Jan. 2026
Verb
Deep cleaning your oven can be an exhaustive, daunting task that, let’s face it, no one really wants to do.
—Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 30 Jan. 2026
Putting money towards stock for the first time may be daunting—but the executive says there are several ways for even the most risk-weary professionals to get their foot in the door.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for daunting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daunting
Adjective
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Their status has been diminished by what has — charitably — been a really discouraging decade, featuring two separate relegations.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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High taxes squeeze margins and send a discouraging signal to firms.—
Andrew Rein,
New York Daily News,
6 Jan. 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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The Mammoth have the pace and scoring depth to be a troublesome first-round opponent for either Vegas or Edmonton, and there’s a sense that they’re just getting started.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents left Cuba a few years before Fidel Castro took power, has eyed the regime in Havana as one of the world’s most pernicious, inhumane and troublesome.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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With little to no foil for this dismaying existence, however, Half His Age often succumbs to shock value in lieu of pushing beyond that which offends.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
22 Jan. 2026
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Democratic leaders actually were troubled by Mamdani’s rise (although their preference for a disgraced former governor was equally dismaying), but Democratic voters handed Mamdani a solid victory despite his radical positions.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
28 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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None of the emails unearthed so far appear to indicate criminal activity, but are—like the photos—disconcerting.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
31 Jan. 2026
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Here, the opening sentence is disconcerting because the speaker is coming back to a physical space, but is returning from an absence, which is not a physical space.—
Akhil Sharma,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The bump was later ruled a penalty, but the disheartening finish had Santos-Griswold considering retirement.—
Aliza Chasan,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
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If right, their conclusion implies a disheartening lesson amid the otherwise-welcome news.—
Charles Fain Lehman,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Some might take issue that actual recordings get used, but given the message this expertly made film so emphatically presents, that haunting voice makes the film all that more powerful, meaningful and dispiriting.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
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In Week 16, Detroit had a first and goal from the 1-yard line in the final seconds against the Pittsburgh Steelers but failed to score the go-ahead touchdown in a dispiriting loss.—
Rohan Nadkarni,
NBC news,
26 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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UConn shot 8-for-15 from 3-point range in the first half to Creighton’s 5-for-10, and went on a demoralizing 10-2 scoring run over the final two minutes of the half to take a 41-30 lead into the break.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
1 Feb. 2026
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After a year of lackluster hiring and an increasingly demoralizing job-search process, many are sitting out the slog of finding new work altogether.—
Jennifer Liu,
CNBC,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Daunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daunting. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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