DAUNTING Synonyms: 114 Similar and Opposite Words

daunting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of daunting

as in discouraging

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

daunting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of daunt

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

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 daunting

Adjective

In 1983, the NBA faced a far more daunting future than the NCAA does now, with revenue gaps endangering teams and unchecked free agency hurting the game’s image. — Charles Grantham, Sportico.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Flapping Airplanes is trying to wrangle one of the more daunting technical challenges of the current AI wave. — Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026

Verb

While getting firsthand information from inside Russia can be daunting, reports of long lines and high costs for fuel are growing. — Brian Sullivan, CNBC, 30 July 2026 While this initially may seem daunting for major corporations, the technology is proven and is already in use for companies that sell tens or hundreds of thousands of different products, including Lacoste, Decathlon, Zalando, etc. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 29 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for daunting

Recent Examples of Synonyms for daunting

Adjective

Despite the discouraging landscape, recruiters and career experts say there are still ways for recent graduates to stand out.

— Alyshia Hull, USA Today, 28 July 2026
Abigail Simon-Hart is all too familiar with these discouraging trends.

— Durrie Bouscaren, NPR, 25 July 2026

Definition of discouraging

Verb

But Algo’s hyper-logical, computerised process of consistently picking the favourites to win was undone in the second match of the day, with Ghana frustrating England in a 0-0 draw.

— The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 24 June 2026
The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026

Definition of frustrating

Adjective

In instances where these agents are acting on behalf of security professionals, rather than malicious invaders, this is actually troublesome as agents are now escaping the bounds of their constraints and potentially causing more harm than good.

— Ron Schmelzer, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Wright, who had a troublesome training camp last year, which was capped with a knee injury, delivered a couple of first-down runs during Thursday’s non-padded practice.

— Omar Kelly August 6, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of troublesome

Adjective

Most dismaying to me was the group’s seemingly endless tinkering with the menu at Rowdy Rooster, its fast-casual fried-chicken spot, including a downgrade in the chicken’s range of heat.

— Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
Some recent comments from longtime Voicers have been especially dismaying.

— Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 4 June 2026

Definition of dismaying

Adjective

Selina Wang, the lead author of the study, says the findings are particularly disheartening, as avocado oil products are often much more expensive than those made with olive or other vegetable oils.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 24 July 2026
That process repeats over and over and can be very disheartening to the team.

— Peter Nelson, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026

Definition of disheartening

Adjective

That said, the more dispiriting possibility is that Gluck as a creator has gradually become too insulated from the industry’s rougher edges to recognize that his work makes an impact regardless of his intentions.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 5 Aug. 2026
The second explanation is less technical but more dispiriting.

— John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of dispiriting

Adjective

The New York Mets’ big spending has backfired even more this season, though the club’s long-term picture isn’t quite as demoralizing as San Francisco’s.

— Tim Britton, New York Times, 27 July 2026
The Lions would go on to suffer a demoralizing 4-1 loss to Germany that same year in a round of 16 match staged at an altitude of 4,600 feet.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of demoralizing

Browse Nearby Words

daunted

daunting

dauntless

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Daunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daunting. Accessed 12 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of daunting

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on daunting

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gnomic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

'Gaslighting,' 'Woke,' 'Democracy,' and Other Top Lookups

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes