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
Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 16 Feb. 2026
Rebuilding the Palestinian territory will be a daunting endeavor.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Ethan M. Stone, Ascend Agency, 20 Feb. 2026
To him, the desert’s vast, daunting landscape remains the ultimate frontier for paleontologists brave enough to pursue the unknown.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for daunting
Adjective
Everyone knows a court-side basketball ticket calls for denim—or even an elevated sweatpant— but choosing the right pair of jeans can be a daunting task.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 16 Feb. 2026
Rebuilding the Palestinian territory will be a daunting endeavor.
—Aamer Madhani, Chicago Tribune, 16 Feb. 2026
Verb
Implementing large-scale changes like EIP-1559 can be daunting given how far their reach goes, but their present success suggests network users are ready to see what the crypto industry has in store next.
—Ethan M. Stone, Ascend Agency, 20 Feb. 2026
To him, the desert’s vast, daunting landscape remains the ultimate frontier for paleontologists brave enough to pursue the unknown.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for daunting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daunting
Adjective
-
Admittedly, someone older might be critical or discouraging.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
19 Feb. 2026
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Yet seldom is heard a discouraging word when Darnold assesses what happened in New York, Carolina, San Francisco, or Minnesota.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 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
-
The government said there were between 200 and 500 troublesome and inaccurate posts — including up to 30 that have received more than 100,000 views — since Sunday's army operation.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
25 Feb. 2026
-
Sources close to the player, speaking on the condition of anonymity to protect professional relationships, explained that the defender initially had a dead leg after a blow to the thigh muscle above his troublesome right knee last week.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
The bump was later ruled a penalty, but the disheartening finish had Santos-Griswold considering retirement.—
Aliza Chasan,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
If right, their conclusion implies a disheartening lesson amid the otherwise-welcome news.—
Charles Fain Lehman,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Others displays have felt more dispiriting.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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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
Adjective
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On the surface, that defeat should have been demoralizing, but the reality was very different.—
Patrick Snell,
CNN Money,
21 Feb. 2026
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The demoralizing graffiti marring the main entrance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 360 Lenox Ave.—
Colin Mixson,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Daunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daunting. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.
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