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Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective venturesome contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of venturesome are adventurous, daredevil, daring, foolhardy, rash, and reckless. While all these words mean "exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense," venturesome implies a jaunty eagerness for perilous undertakings.

venturesome stunt pilots

When is it sensible to use adventurous instead of venturesome?

The meanings of adventurous and venturesome largely overlap; however, adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence.

adventurous pioneers

When can daredevil be used instead of venturesome?

The synonyms daredevil and venturesome are sometimes interchangeable, but daredevil stresses ostentation in daring.

daredevil motorcyclists

When is daring a more appropriate choice than venturesome?

While the synonyms daring and venturesome are close in meaning, daring implies fearlessness in courting danger.

daring mountain climbers

When would foolhardy be a good substitute for venturesome?

The words foolhardy and venturesome are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, foolhardy suggests a recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense.

the foolhardy sailor ventured into the storm

When might rash be a better fit than venturesome?

In some situations, the words rash and venturesome are roughly equivalent. However, rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought.

a rash decision

In what contexts can reckless take the place of venturesome?

While in some cases nearly identical to venturesome, reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences.

a reckless driver

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 venturesome The venturesome Robert Irwin produced a spectral sculpture for a California mall in 1970, and Takashi Murakami infamously incorporated a Louis Vuitton pop-up in his 2007—08 traveling museum retrospective. Andrew Russeth, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2024 Don Murray, the venturesome actor who earned an Oscar nomination for playing a rodeo cowboy smitten by Marilyn Monroe in Bus Stop, then spurned Hollywood’s attempts to mold him, has died. Mike Barnes, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Feb. 2024 For example, until the early 2000s, Countrywide did no subprime lending, leaving the field to the venturesome likes of the Money Store and Guardian S&L. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 18 July 2023 Part of a string of recent high-profile divorce records, Chemistry represents Clarkson at her most venturesome and liberated. Vulture, 27 June 2023 See All Example Sentences for venturesome
Recent Examples of Synonyms for venturesome
Adjective
  • For one thing: Bruce Springsteen heard Church’s new album, Evangeline vs. the Machine, an adventurous project that introduces orchestral and choral sounds to Church’s rebellious brand of country music.
    Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 6 June 2025
  • The dancer dreams of one day starting a travel TV show with his adventurous pup, on which they ping-pong around the world, helping to rescue stray animals and exploring the dances and cultures of other countries.
    Kelli Bender, People.com, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • While use of chrysotile asbestos was on the decline, the dangerous mineral has lingered in various gaskets, brake blocks, aftermarket automotive brakes and linings, other vehicle friction products, and some diaphragms used to make sodium hydroxide and chlorine.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 17 June 2025
  • Yet factories in developing countries are often portrayed as hot, uncomfortable, dangerous, and wholly unwelcoming places where workers are conscripted against their interests to toil for the betterment of the faraway West.
    Tony Morley, National Review, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • The Russian missile attack on Ukraine comes days after Ukraine’s security service launched a series of daring, large-scale drone attacks deep into Russia, striking airfields and hitting 41 Russian military aircrafts.
    Victoria Butenko, CNN Money, 5 June 2025
  • His career was built around the principles that a great idea can come from anywhere, a box office triumph is meant to be shared by an entire team and our creative choices need to be bold and daring.
    Jordan Moreau, Variety, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • What To Know There are currently no major wildfires reported in the areas, but officials warned that hazardous conditions could rapidly change this status.
    Hannah Parry, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 June 2025
  • The attempts to reach the group were not successful because of the hazardous conditions, so a boat was deployed to rescue the group, troopers said.
    Paloma Chavez, Miami Herald, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and military officials must know that attacking U.S. targets would be very risky and would lead to a significant response that would likely be even more damaging than Israel’s latest attacks – including putting a potential deal over its nuclear program at risk.
    Javed Ali, The Conversation, 13 June 2025
  • In a way, staying close to the game is the safest route, even if the story itself is more risky.
    James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Actually using tariffs to finance a big chunk of the federal government would be a painful and perilous undertaking, budget wonks say.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 June 2025
  • Yet the prevailing winds are those of geopolitical rivalry and division, turning our greatest global commons into an increasingly contested and perilous domain.
    Sturla Henriksen, Time, 5 June 2025
Adjective
  • According to a 2023 study on maternal health, women are still at risk for developing serious health conditions after the standard postpartum period of six to eight weeks.
    Cynthia McEwen, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
  • Last season, especially over the latter half of the campaign following the Miller trade, Vancouver’s penalty kill morphed into a serious weapon.
    Thomas Drance, New York Times, 17 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Venturesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/venturesome. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.

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