daring
B2 (CEFR)Neutral to formal; common in narrative, descriptive, and journalistic contexts.
Definition
Meaning
Adjective: willing to take risks; showing courage and boldness. Noun: adventurous courage; boldness.
Can describe an action or plan that is bold, risky, and potentially groundbreaking. As a noun, it refers to the quality of being daring.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily used as an adjective. Carries a generally positive connotation of bravery and innovation, but can imply recklessness if context suggests.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. The verb 'dare' and its participle 'daring' function identically.
Connotations
Slightly more associated with heroic or adventurous narratives in both varieties.
Frequency
Similar frequency in both BrE and AmE corpora.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[be] + daring[be] + daring enough to + INFa daring + NOUNwith + daringshow + daringVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “feat of daring”
- “daring-do (often confused with 'derring-do')”
- “a leap in the dark”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Describes innovative, high-risk strategies or market moves (e.g., 'a daring takeover bid').
Academic
Used in historical or literary analysis to describe bold actions or theories (e.g., 'a daring hypothesis').
Everyday
Commonly describes physically brave acts or bold fashion choices (e.g., 'a daring cliff jump', 'a daring dress').
Technical
Rare; may appear in fields like aviation or exploration to describe risky maneuvers.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She is daring to question the established procedure.
- They were daring each other to jump into the cold lake.
American English
- He's daring to dream of a better future.
- I can't believe you're daring to argue with the boss.
adverb
British English
- She dressed daringly for the premiere, attracting much attention.
- The plan was daringly simple yet effective.
American English
- He invested daringly in the volatile tech market.
- The film's plot daringly crosses several genre boundaries.
adjective
British English
- The mountaineer made a daring ascent of the north face.
- Her daring choice of dissertation topic impressed the panel.
American English
- That was a daring play by the quarterback in the final seconds.
- The magazine featured a daring new fashion trend.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He is a daring boy who loves climbing trees.
- The story is about a daring knight.
- The firefighter received a medal for her daring rescue.
- It was a daring move to travel alone.
- The journalist's daring exposé led to significant political changes.
- Their daring escape from the prison camp was later turned into a film.
- The CEO's daring pivot into renewable energy saved the company from bankruptcy.
- The artist's work is a daring synthesis of classical and postmodern techniques.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'daring' as 'dare' + 'ing' – someone who is always daring to do bold things.
Conceptual Metaphor
DARING IS A PHYSICAL FORCE ('a surge of daring'), DARING IS A JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN ('venturing into daring territory').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'дерзкий' (impudent/saucy), which has a negative connotation of disrespect.
- Do not overtranslate as 'рискованный' (risky) without the element of courage; 'смелый' (bold) or 'отважный' (brave) are closer.
- Note that 'daring' as a noun (его смелость) is less common in Russian, where an adjective-noun construction is typical.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'daring' as a verb in simple tenses (e.g., 'He darnings to go' instead of 'He dares to go').
- Confusing 'daring' (adjective/noun) with 'daring' as the present participle of 'dare' in continuous tenses.
- Misspelling as 'darring'.
Practice
Quiz
Which word is NOT typically an antonym of 'daring'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, though less common than the adjective. As a noun, it means 'adventurous courage' (e.g., 'She showed great daring').
'Brave' is a broader term for facing danger without fear. 'Daring' specifically implies a willingness to take bold risks, often involving novelty or defiance of norms.
Mostly positive, implying admirable courage. However, context can make it negative if the action is seen as reckless or foolish (e.g., 'a daring but ill-advised stunt').
It's the present participle/gerund of 'dare', used in continuous tenses or as a gerund (e.g., 'She is daring me to do it', 'Daring him was a mistake').