Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective adventurous contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of adventurous are daredevil, daring, foolhardy, rash, reckless, and venturesome. While all these words mean "exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense," adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence.

adventurous pioneers

When would daredevil be a good substitute for adventurous?

The words daredevil and adventurous are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, daredevil stresses ostentation in daring.

daredevil motorcyclists

When is it sensible to use daring instead of adventurous?

In some situations, the words daring and adventurous are roughly equivalent. However, daring implies fearlessness in courting danger.

daring mountain climbers

When can foolhardy be used instead of adventurous?

The words foolhardy and adventurous can be used in similar contexts, but foolhardy suggests a recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense.

the foolhardy sailor ventured into the storm

When is rash a more appropriate choice than adventurous?

While in some cases nearly identical to adventurous, rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought.

a rash decision

When could reckless be used to replace adventurous?

Although the words reckless and adventurous have much in common, reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences.

a reckless driver

In what contexts can venturesome take the place of adventurous?

The synonyms venturesome and adventurous are sometimes interchangeable, but venturesome implies a jaunty eagerness for perilous undertakings.

venturesome stunt pilots

Examples 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 adventurous At Cafe Mado in Brooklyn, the heart of an adventurous tasting-menu restaurant beats within a relaxed comfort-food retreat. Koren Shadmi, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2025 Marrakech is just the tip of an iceberg that’s of great interest to adventurous leisure travelers. Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025 The massive solo female travel trend is driven by a surge in women seeking independence, safety, and deeper cultural connections through structured yet adventurous experiences, says Barnes. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2025 Grab your skis and head into the backcountry: Want an activity that’s a bit more adventurous than alpine skiing? Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 30 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for adventurous 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adventurous
Adjective
  • Quick aside: Notre Dame with its gaudy, preposterously shiny gold helmets forfeited the OB’s Best Headgear trophy to Penn State’s plain white helmets, the most daring flair of understatement since Andy Warhol painted a tomato soup can and called it art.
    Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2025
  • Judy Reyes stars as a nurse whose daughter dies at the age of five, only to be brought back to life by a morgue technician (an unforgettable Marin Ireland) who has been experimenting with a daring new process.
    Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Bloomberg/Getty Images The Biden administration announced a bold and controversial new export control scheme today, designed to prevent the advanced chips and artificial intelligence models themselves from ending up in the hands of adversaries such as China.
    Will Knight, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
  • Breathing new life into a space that struggled to find its footing in the past, Chef Cabrera has brought a bold new vision to the table, blending Napa’s storied food scene with refreshing coastal flavors that undeniably deserve recognition in the culinary world.
    Keyla Vasconcellos, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Joshua Zeman’s documentary chronicles the courageous efforts to save them, first from starvation, then via transport to new homes.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 8 Jan. 2025
  • The Democratic budget was moved from the House to the Senate, which allowed four courageous Democratic senators who recognized the historic moment for structural budgetary changes.
    Len Fasano, Hartford Courant, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The children's television show centers on a pack of puppies, aka the PAW Patrol, and their fearless leader, Ryder, who work together to help the people of Adventure Bay overcome challenges, plus protect them from the occasional bad guy.
    Alyssa Sybertz, Parents, 14 Jan. 2025
  • The women ride sidesaddle, inspired by the fearless adelitas — women fighters in the Mexican Revolution.
    Amanda Lopez, NPR, 11 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The streets here are steep, as in San Francisco-steep—so precipitous that brave locals (or crazy, some might say) hurtle down them in homemade bobsleds every January.
    Cassidy Randall, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
  • Benjamin Franklin was not only a political thinker but a scientist and a brave advocate of smallpox inoculation.
    Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • However, college kids and teens are adventuresome travel companions who enjoy a mix of outdoor adventure, cultural immersion, fine dining, and cool shopping.
    Jackie Burrell, Parents, 29 July 2024
  • Using your physical attributes to get things done will be satisfying and encourage you to be adventuresome.
    Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 15 July 2024
Adjective
  • More enterprising shoppers can get the original Pixel on the secondary market for less than $50.
    Janhoi McGregor, Forbes, 29 Dec. 2024
  • So around the turn of the 20th century, an enterprising tortilla maker developed a way to make masa behave more like wheat flour, dehydrating and packaging it so that tortillas could be made quickly by just adding water.
    Kristen V. Brown, The Atlantic, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • This perspective can help avoid mistakes stemming from poor tax planning or impulsive financial decisions.
    Rory O'Hara, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
  • People with depression may be distracted on the road, have a slower reaction time, or have careless or impulsive driving behaviors, like hard braking or speeding.
    Elizabeth Yuko, Health, 9 Jan. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near adventurous

Cite this Entry

“Adventurous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adventurous. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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