MEANING
To make someone feel less able or willing to attempt something because it seems formidable.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- daunted by the scale
- nothing could daunt her
- a daunting prospect
On the page
The length of the underground passage daunted even the guide.
She was daunted by the responsibility but accepted it.
No hostile question could daunt him once the hearing began.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- daunt / daunts
- Past tense
- daunted
- Past participle
- daunted
- Present participle
- daunting
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- daunt / daunts
- Present continuous
- am/is/are daunting
- Present perfect
- have/has daunted
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been daunting
- Past
- daunted
- Past continuous
- was/were daunting
- Past perfect
- had daunted
- Past perfect continuous
- had been daunting
- Future
- will daunt / daunts
- Future continuous
- will be daunting
- Future perfect
- will have daunted
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been daunting
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: fear. Often concerns the size or difficulty of a task rather than immediate danger. Unlike deter, it names the discouraging effect whether or not action stops. Verb forms (base, third-person singular, past, past participle, -ing): daunt, daunts, daunted, daunted, daunting.
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