: tending to overwhelm or intimidate
a daunting task
Examples of daunting in a Sentence
Few things are more daunting than having to speak in front of a large crowd.
Shakespeare's plays can be daunting for a young reader.
Recent Examples on the Web
The experience is often out of their control and can be unfamiliar and daunting.
—
Ethan M. Stone, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Thankfully, Against the Dying of the Light provides the right mix of stirring calls to action, with acoustic guitar and moments of meditation to make the years-long process a little less daunting.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
Those 14,000 survivors now face the daunting task of continuing to pick every game correctly as the tournament progresses and matchups become harder to predict.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2026
About a month later, Giese wanted to attend a festival while in Austin, Texas, only to find the 10 blocks of booths and vendors too daunting.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for daunting
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Ethan M. Stone, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
Thankfully, Against the Dying of the Light provides the right mix of stirring calls to action, with acoustic guitar and moments of meditation to make the years-long process a little less daunting.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
Those 14,000 survivors now face the daunting task of continuing to pick every game correctly as the tournament progresses and matchups become harder to predict.
—Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 20 Mar. 2026
About a month later, Giese wanted to attend a festival while in Austin, Texas, only to find the 10 blocks of booths and vendors too daunting.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for daunting
Cite this Entry
“Daunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daunting. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
daunting
adjective
daunt·ing
ˈdȯnt-iŋ 
: tending to overwhelm or intimidate
a daunting task
dauntingly
adverb
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