dismay, appall, horrify, daunt mean to unnerve or deter by arousing fear, apprehension, or aversion.
dismay implies that one is disconcerted and at a loss as to how to deal with something.
dismayed at the size of the job
appall implies that one is faced with that which perturbs, confounds, or shocks.
I am appalled by your behavior
horrify stresses a reaction of horror or revulsion.
was horrified by such wanton cruelty
daunt suggests a cowing, disheartening, or frightening in a venture requiring courage.
a cliff that would daunt the most intrepid climber
Examples of daunt in a Sentence
the raging inferno didn't daunt the firefighters for a moment
Recent Examples on the WebCountries everywhere face daunting socioeconomic challenges.—Børge Brende, Foreign Affairs, 2 Jan. 2020 The team, just getting off the ground with initial seed funding, faces an uphill battle to strike a successful business model in Oakland — a city with daunting crime challenges and nearly abandoned by professional sports.—Alex Sherman, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2024 Although Netflix and Edelman maintain final cut of the film, a Prince documentary without his music would face daunting, if not insurmountable, creative and commercial obstacles.—Jem Aswad, Variety, 18 July 2024 Advertisement The job is one of the toughest in law enforcement, experts say.
LAPD chiefs have a national voice in shaping public safety policy and face daunting challenges at home.—Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for daunt
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'daunt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from Anglo-French danter, daunter, from Latin domitare to tame, frequentative of domare — more at tame
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