Daunting
'dɔːntɪŋ
Definitions
Causing one to lose courage; intimidating or discouraging.
'dɔːntɪŋ
Seeming difficult to deal with in prospect; intimidating.
The thought of speaking in public was daunting.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're about to take a super tough test, or try something really challenging, like learning to ride a bike. If it seems hard and makes you a little nervous, that's daunting. It's like the challenge is bigger than you are!
👶 For kids: When something is daunting, it means it feels a little scary or hard to do.
More Examples
The sheer size of the project seemed daunting.
Facing such a challenge was daunting, but she persevered.
The exam was daunting for most of the students.
How It's Used
"The climb to the summit looked daunting."
"Starting a new business can be a daunting task."
"The amount of coursework for the semester felt daunting."
From the verb "daunt," meaning to intimidate or discourage, derived from Old French "daunter," meaning to tame or subdue, ultimately from Latin "domitare," to tame or subdue, frequentative of "domare," to tame.
Used since the 16th century, often in the context of military or personal challenges.
Memory tip
Imagine a massive, scary monster. Facing it is daunting.