daring 1 of 3

daring

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noun

daring

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verb

present participle of dare

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective daring contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of daring are adventurous, daredevil, foolhardy, rash, reckless, and venturesome. While all these words mean "exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense," daring implies fearlessness in courting danger.

daring mountain climbers

When is it sensible to use adventurous instead of daring?

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

adventurous pioneers

In what contexts can daredevil take the place of daring?

Although the words daredevil and daring have much in common, daredevil stresses ostentation in daring.

daredevil motorcyclists

When can foolhardy be used instead of daring?

In some situations, the words foolhardy and daring are roughly equivalent. However, 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 daring?

The synonyms rash and daring are sometimes interchangeable, but rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought.

a rash decision

When would reckless be a good substitute for daring?

The words reckless and daring are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences.

a reckless driver

When could venturesome be used to replace daring?

While the synonyms venturesome and daring are close in meaning, 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 daring
Adjective
Emma Corrin and Rami Malek While Corrin is known for their daring red carpet looks, their off-duty style is perfectly in step with their partner, Malek. Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 25 Dec. 2024 Prince William was in the audience at the time, and it was said to be a key moment in the couple falling in love, though the TikTok creator chose the less daring of Kate's outfits, a black dress. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
The daring of these companies is being driven by federal incentives and the race to deploy the first wave of small nuclear reactors around the world. Andrew Freedman, Axios, 18 July 2024 Founded in 2004, Participant Media, a production company known for its sociopolitical daring, burned an unusually bright arc across a filmscape that, more typically, reserved its fireworks for superheroes. Matt Brennan, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024
Verb
Against the Vikings in Week 10, the Jags played the highest percentage of two high safety snaps in a game — a shockingly passive approach — daring Darnold to consistently find shorter completions. Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025 First off, most studio horror films don’t take anywhere near the kind of risks that this daring genre flick takes. Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for daring 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daring
Adjective
  • Kylie Kangaroo Kylie is an adventurous kangaroo from Australia.
    Elisa Cinelli, Parents, 16 Jan. 2025
  • At such a young age, there is still massive scope for Reis to improve; from bulking up and becoming sturdier in the shoulder-to-shoulder duels to rediscovering his adventurous distribution at the highest level of the game.
    Thom Harris, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • For all the valorization of courage, the show’s reluctance to tackle harder issues head-on feels rather toothless.
    Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Jan. 2025
  • The organization is meant to build girls' courage and confidence while making the world a better place.
    Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Biden even considered challenging Carter for the Democratic nomination in 1980.
    Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
  • And don’t overlook the impact that challenging engineering and construction conditions can have on your calculations.
    Katherine Latham, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The world’s multilateral architecture is the best mechanism humanity has for confronting existential transnational threats.
    Allison Carnegie, Foreign Affairs, 24 Dec. 2024
  • Any return to play in England would entail Henderson confronting the subject again.
    Michael Walker, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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
Noun
  • Your bravery & dedication to protecting our communities are nothing short of heroic.
    Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
  • Biden said the nation also stands with the 35 people injured in the attack and thanked first-responders for their bravery.
    Joey Garrison, USA TODAY, 7 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • So what is the biggest threat facing the world in 2025?
    George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 31 Dec. 2024
  • Plenty of issues on both sides of the ball also require fixing before facing any team in the playoffs.
    Ben Standig, The Athletic, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • 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
  • 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

Thesaurus Entries Near daring

Cite this Entry

“Daring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daring. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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