daunting 1 of 2

Definition of dauntingnext

daunting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of daunt

Example 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 daunting
Adjective
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
Verb
As if that isn’t daunting enough, Yahoo also will be vying against other popular AI chatbots such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude in addition to answer engines such as Perplexity. Michael Liedtke, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 The process of helping a loved one with treatment for serious mental illnesses is often daunting. Eva Wen, jsonline.com, 24 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for daunting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daunting
Adjective
  • Both hosts often wept as Guthrie described her emotional journey through the increasingly discouraging investigation into her mother’s whereabouts.
    Andy Rose, CNN Money, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Still, the latest uptick is a discouraging sign for house hunters as the spring buying season kicks off.
    Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 19 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.
    Elliott Teaford, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • Rolling off the treble knob helps a little, but even dialed back all the way, that upper-mids/low-treble range remains troublesome.
    Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 1 Apr. 2026
  • And the struggles up front affected what was already troublesome quarterback play after Conner Harrell’s knee injury in Week 4.
    Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The keenness of my letdown was dismaying.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
  • But there’s another side to this story, equally dismaying, which is the abandonment of dissidents as a public cause in the West.
    Bret Stephens, Mercury News, 12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • About 20 miles southwest of Indianapolis, Mooresville residents report finding dirty water filters turning a disconcerting brown.
    Karl Schneider, IndyStar, 31 Mar. 2026
  • That alone would be disconcerting, but that the line (dubbed the Petrova Line, after the scientist who discovered it) seems to be linked to a new, gradual dimming of the sun?
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The crocodile’s rare appearance represented a disheartening degradation but a hopeful sign of what the Niger Delta, if salvaged, can still become — an eco-diverse paradise akin to the Amazon or Costa Rica, that feeds its populace and attracts foreign visitors wanting to witness nature’s glory.
    Noo Saro-Wiwa, The Dial, 24 Mar. 2026
  • With the next five against the Lakers, Rockets, Spurs, Cavaliers and Cavaliers, there will be the opportunity for statement wins to follow, after the disheartening losses to the Magic and Hornets.
    Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Uddin said there are challenges to operating a food pantry at a high volume, but none more dispiriting than having to say no.
    Zareen Syed, Chicago Tribune, 13 Mar. 2026
  • The 5-2 loss was Toronto’s third straight coming out of the Olympic break and third straight display of dejected, dispiriting, flat and admittedly embarrassing hockey.
    Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The Heat repeatedly allowed open shots and unchallenged forays to the basket in another demoralizing and disgraceful defensive display, one made all the worse by the fact the Heat is fighting for playoff seeding.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
  • Nothing is more demoralizing for a team trying to regain its balance than having its outcome determined by the third inning.
    Troy Renck, Denver Post, 27 Mar. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Daunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daunting. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on daunting

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster