dare
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dare¹
- /dɛə/ UK
- /dɛ(ə)ɹ/ US
Sounds like Dair, dear, deer (both cheer–chair merger) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English durren, from Old English durran, from Proto-West Germanic *durʀan, from Proto-Germanic *durzaną (“to dare”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰedʰórse (“to dare”), reduplicated stative of the root *dʰers- (“to be bold, to dare”), an *-s- extension of *dʰer- (“to hold, support”).
Cognates
Cognate with Low German dören, Dutch durven, German thüren, Sanskrit दधर्ष (dadhárṣa), but also with Ancient Greek θρασύς (thrasús), Albanian nder, Lithuanian drįsti, Russian дерза́ть (derzátʹ).
verb dares · dare · dast · daring · dared
-
To have enough courage (to do something).
I wouldn't dare (to) argue with my boss.
Similar: venture
- To defy or challenge (someone to do something). I dare you to kiss that girl.
- To have enough courage to meet or do something, go somewhere, etc.; to face up to. Will you dare death to reach your goal?
- To terrify; to daunt. For I have done those follies, those mad mischiefs, Would dare a woman.
- To drive larks to the ground by scaring them (for instance, with mirrors or hawks) so they can be caught in nets. I have an hobby can make larks to dare
noun dares
- A challenge to prove courage. I did it just for a dare.
- The quality of daring; venturesomeness; boldness. It lends a lustre […] / A large dare to our great enterprise.
- Defiance; challenge. Childish, unworthy dares / Are not enough to part our powers.
- In the game truth or dare, the choice to perform a dare set by the other players. When asked truth or dare, she picked dare.
dare²
- /dɛə/ UK
- /dɛ(ə)ɹ/ US
Sounds like Dair, dear, deer (both cheer–chair merger) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)
Where it comes from
From Middle English daren, from Old English darian.
verb dares · daring · dared
- To stare stupidly or vacantly; to gaze as though amazed or terrified.
- To lie or crouch down in fear.
dare³
- /dɛə/ UK
- /dɛ(ə)ɹ/ US
Sounds like Dair, dear, deer (both cheer–chair merger) · Rhymes with -ɛə(ɹ)
noun dares
- A small fish, the dace The Dare is not unlike a Chub, but proportionably less; his Body is more white and flatter, and his Tail more forked.
DARE⁴
proper noun
- Acronym of Drug Abuse Resistance Education
- Acronym of Dictionary of American Regional English
Dare⁵
Where it comes from
English surname, spelling variant of Dear.
proper noun Dares
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: make bold, defy, courage, brave, venture, risk, challenge, action, can, ask, avise, give, notify, advise, would, speak
Translations
Every language
verb to have courage
| Español | osar, atreverse, denodarse |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 敢えてする aete-suru, 思い切ってする omoikitte-suru |
| 中文 | 敢 gǎn, 膽敢 /胆敢 dǎngǎn |
| Kiswahili | -thubutu |
| Português | ousar, atrever-se a |
| Français | oser |
| Deutsch | wagen |
| Italiano | osare, azzardarsi a, arrischiarsi a, ardire |
| Ελληνικά | τολμώ tolmó |
| Română | îndrăzni, încumeta, cuteza |
| Русский | сметь smetʹ, посме́ть posmétʹ, осме́ливаться osmélivatʹsja, осме́литься osmélitʹsja, отва́живаться otváživatʹsja, отва́житься otvážitʹsja |
| Tiếng Việt | dám |
| العربية | جَرُؤَ jaruʔa |
| עברית | הֵעֵז he'éz |
verb to defy or challenge
| Português | desafiar |
|---|---|
| Français | défier |
| Deutsch | herausfordern |
| Italiano | sfidare |
| Русский | броса́ть вы́зов brosátʹ výzov, подзадо́ривать podzadórivatʹ, подзадо́рить podzadóritʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | thách |
| العربية | تَحَدَّى taḥaddā |
verb to brave or face up to
| 日本語 | 冒す okasu, 堪える kotaeru |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 冒險 /冒险 màoxiǎn |
| Português | enfrentar |
| Français | affronter |
| Deutsch | trotzen |
| Italiano | affrontare |
| Русский | сме́ло смотре́ть в лицо́ smélo smotrétʹ v licó, рискова́ть riskovátʹ, рискну́ть risknútʹ |
| العربية | وَاجَهَ wājaha |
Talk about this word "dare." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/dare. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026. dare. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/dare "dare." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 5, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/dare.Cite this
@misc{dare_2026,
title = {dare},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/dare},
urldate = {2026-11-05}
}
