Word of the Day

: December 26, 2011

intrepid

adjective in-TREP-id

What It Means

: characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance

intrepid in Context

She was an intrepid child, always coming home with scrapes and bruises, but also with great stories of "adventures."

"The vineyard lies atop a knoll down the road from Bohan Vineyard, at an elevation of 1,200 feet. In the early 1980s, the site was so uncharted that only the most intrepid would venture to its lonesome ridges, let alone consider grape growing there." -- From a review in Wine Spectator, July 31, 2010

Did You Know?

You need not be afraid to find out the origins of today’s word, although its history does include fear. "Intrepid" derives from the Latin word "intrepidus," itself formed by the combination of the prefix "in-" (meaning "not") and "trepidus," meaning "alarmed." Other relatives of "trepidus" in English include "trepidation" and "trepidatious," as well as "trepid" (which actually predates "intrepid" and means "fearful") and even the rare "trepidity" (a synonym for "trepidation" in the sense of "fear, apprehension"). Synonyms for "intrepid" include "courageous," "valiant," "fearless," "valorous," and simply "brave."