Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To have the courage required for.
- intransitive verb To challenge (someone) to do something requiring boldness.
- intransitive verb To confront boldly; brave: synonym: defy.
- intransitive verb To be courageous or bold enough to do or try something.
- intransitive verb To be courageous or bold enough to.
- noun An act of daring; a challenge.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To be bold enough (to do something); have courage, strength of mind, or hardihood (to undertake some action or project); not to be afraid; venture: followed by an infinitive (with or without to) as object, or sometimes, by ellipsis, used absolutely.
- [Originally and still often used in the third person of the present tense without a personal termination, and in such case always followed by the infinitive without to: as, he dare not do it.
- To venture on; attempt boldly to perform.
- To challenge; provoke to action, especially by asserting or implying that one lacks courage to accept the challenge; defy: as, to
dare a man to fight. - To arouse; rouse.
- noun The quality of being daring; venturesomeness; boldness; dash; spirit.
- noun A challenge; defiance.
- noun A mirror for daring larks.
- noun Same as
dace , 1. - noun A Middle English form of
deer . - To be in fear; tremble with fear; be stupefied or dazed with fear. Specifically
- To lie still in fear; lurk in dread; especially, lie or squat close to the ground, like a frightened bird or hare; look anxiously around, as such a lurking creature.
- To droop; languish.
- To strike with fear; terrify; daunt; dismay.
- To terrify and catch (larks), as by means of a mirror or a piece of red cloth, or by walking round with a hawk on the fist where they are crouching, and then throwing a net over them.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- intransitive verb To have adequate or sufficient courage for any purpose; to be bold or venturesome; not to be afraid; to venture.
- transitive verb To have courage for; to attempt courageously; to venture to do or to undertake.
- transitive verb To challenge; to provoke; to defy.
- noun rare The quality of daring; venturesomeness; boldness; dash.
- noun Defiance; challenge.
- intransitive verb obsolete To lurk; to lie hid.
- noun (Zoöl.) A small fish; the dace.
- transitive verb obsolete To terrify; to daunt.
- transitive verb to catch them by producing terror through to use of mirrors, scarlet cloth, a hawk, etc., so that they lie still till a net is thrown over them.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A small fish, the
dace . - verb intransitive To have enough
courage (to do something). - verb transitive To defy or
challenge (someone to do something) - verb transitive To have enough courage to meet or do something, go somewhere, etc.; to face up to
- noun A
challenge to provecourage .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb to be courageous enough to try or do something
- verb challenge
- noun a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
- verb take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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And warmly and kindling dare -- yes, _dare_ to hope,
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I dare you to go and ask him about it; I _dare_ you to; and see what he says.
Roy Blakely, Pathfinder Percy Keese Fitzhugh 1913
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"Do you dare -- do you _dare_ look your own daughter in the eye and say she is no lady?"
Queed Henry Sydnor Harrison 1905
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I wanted to know, only I didn't dare -- actually didn't _dare_, for Ellaline's sake, to speak angrily.
Set in Silver 1901
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"I dare you, _dare_, you to tell 'em, Jane," Polk suddenly said, coming over and putting a hand on one of my shoulders and one on Jane's.
The Tinder-Box Maria Thompson Daviess 1898
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"How dare you! how _dare_ you!" cried Elsie, stamping her foot, and drawing a long, sobbing breath.
Elsie's Womanhood Martha Finley 1868
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"How dare I-- _dare_ I-- tell you that I love you and want you for wife?
Leonie of the Jungle Joan Conquest
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"How dare you, sirrah, hold such language to me -- how _dare_ you?
The International Magazine, Volume 2, No. 3, February, 1851 Various
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Did you dare, Eloise Evringham, did you _dare_ spoil your life -- my life -- our future, by scaring Dr. Ballard with that bugbear? "
Jewel Clara Louise Burnham 1890
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I tried to write a tweet once, on a dare from a coworker, and I failed.
2009 July « 2009
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