adventure

1 of 2

noun

ad·ven·ture əd-ˈven-chər

Synonyms of adventure next

: an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks

a book recounting his many bold adventures

: the encountering of risks

the spirit of adventure

: an exciting or remarkable experience

an adventure in exotic dining

They were looking for adventure.

: an enterprise involving financial risk

wanted to pay off her debts before embarking on any new financial adventures

adventure

2 of 2

verb

adventured; adventuring əd-ˈven-ch(ə-)riŋ

transitive verb

: to expose to danger or loss : venture

… those who adventured their persons and lives risked all they had for a slender reward.—

Joseph Conrad

: to venture upon (see venture entry 1 sense 2) : try

… the task was always one of great difficulty and art—so much so, that it could seldom be adventured in rough or windy weather.—

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

intransitive verb

: to proceed despite risk

… people going away to adventure upon the sea …—

Virginia Woolf

: to take the risk

… I would adventure for such merchandise—

William Shakespeare

Example Sentences

Noun The field trip was an adventure for the students. He told us about his camping adventures. They were looking for adventure. Verb adventured all his savings in a very risky investment scheme if I had to adventure a guess, I'd say she's about 35

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Is there any place-name so redolent of adventure, peril and the thrilling cross-currents of culture as the Silk Road? —

Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, 10 Mar. 2023 Suddenly, everywhere, all at once, the zany sci-fi adventure Everything Everywhere All at Once has pushed itself into front-running contention to win the Oscar best-picture race. —

Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 27 Feb. 2023 And ultimately, that whole experience was this huge high-seas adventure — including all that stuff — that everything afterward feels kind of breezy. —

Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 23 Feb. 2023 The collaboration seems to be a natural given Antiques Roadshow’s tagline: part adventure, part history lesson, and part treasure hunt. —

Irene S. Levine, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2023 The superhero adventure, starring Paul Rudd and Evangeline Lilly as the titular heroes, brought in $105 million from 4,345 North American theaters over the traditional weekend and finished the President’s Day holiday frame with $120 million. —

Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 19 Feb. 2023 For a fun, fairytale-like aquatic adventure, a group or family of four can book a swan boat and pedal through the water for half a mile along The Waterway and Lake Robbins. —

Robin Soslow, Chron, 16 Feb. 2023 This supernatural, magical sea adventure is sure to be a fun ride. —

Men's Health, 15 Feb. 2023 An immersive cocktail adventure based on the Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont fairytale, come along on a 90-minute journey and step into the enchanted and cursed world of Beauty & The Beast. —

Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2023

Verb

The Forbidden Forest, Hogsmeade and much more are all available to adventure in. —

Erik Kain, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2023 But for those less inclined to adventure, the resort is nothing short of luxurious. —

Alesandra Dubin, Town & Country, 30 Jan. 2023 The North Face has equipped explorers since 1966 and has continued to prove itself a quality brand tailored towards those who love to adventure. —

al, 18 Jan. 2023 All while leaving your hands free to adventure safely and create like no one else. —

Joe Jackson, Outside Online, 10 Nov. 2022 Campgrounds and trails may have pet-specific rules, so review any in advance, and ensure that pets can adventure with you. —

Erin E. Williams, BostonGlobe.com, 10 July 2022 But for those who adventure and love the usability of the Apple Watch and other Apple Products, the Ultra finds an excellent middle ground. —

Jakob Schiller, Outside Online, 7 Sep. 2022 Campgrounds and trails may have pet-specific rules, so review any in advance, and ensure that pets can adventure with you. —

Erin E. Williams, BostonGlobe.com, 10 July 2022 The Amazing Race returns with season 34 featuring 12 couples ready to adventure across the world in an epic reality game show. —

oregonlive, 21 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'adventure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English aventure, adventure (with -d- restored from Latin) "fortune, chance, occurrence, risk, enterprise, wonder," borrowed from Anglo-French, going back to Vulgar Latin *adventūra "what will happen," going back to Latin, feminine singular (originally neuter plural) of adventūrus, future participle of advenīre "to arrive at, reach, arise, develop" — more at advent

Verb

alteration (with -d- restored from Latin) of Middle English aventuren, auntren "to happen, expose to risk, take a chance," borrowed from Anglo-French aventurer, verb derivative of aventure "chance, occurrence, risk" — more at adventure entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

circa 1570, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of adventure was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century