dare

B1 Topic:Describing People

Also spelled darr

US /dɛ(ə)ɹ/ UK /dɛə/ See IPA manual

Freq #972

Meanings

1

verb
To be brave enough to do something risky or frightening.

She didn't dare to tell her parents the truth.
2

verb
To challenge someone to do something risky to prove their courage.

I dare you to jump into the cold water.
3

noun
A challenge to do something risky or foolish.

He climbed the wall on a dare from his friends.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 verb · to challenge someone to do... defy

3 noun · a challenge to do something... daring

Word family

Forms dareddaresdarnutdurst

Derived forms bedaredairousdare-saydare-sayingdaredevildaredn'tdarefuldaren'tdarerdaresaydaresn'tdaresome

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 turren, Sanskrit दधर्ष (dadhárṣa), but also with Ancient Greek θρασύς (thrasús), Albanian nder, Lithuanian drįsti, Russian дерза́ть (derzátʹ).

*dʰers- Proto-Indo-European durren Middle English durran Old English *durʀan Proto-West Germanic *durzaną Proto-Germanic *dʰedʰórse Proto-Indo-European

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Topics

Describing People

External links

# dare

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** verb, noun
**IPA (US):** /dɛ(ə)ɹ/
**IPA (UK):** /dɛə/
**Frequency rank:** 972

## Meanings
1. To be brave enough to do something risky or frightening.
2. To challenge someone to do something risky to prove their courage.
3. A challenge to do something risky or foolish.

## Examples
- She didn't dare to tell her parents the truth.
- I dare you to jump into the cold water.
- He climbed the wall on a dare from his friends.

## Derived Forms
- bedare
- dairous
- dare-say
- dare-saying
- daredevil
- daredn't
- dareful
- daren't
- darer
- daresay
- daresn't
- daresome

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *dʰers-
- Root: durren
- Root: durran
- Root: *durʀan
- Root: *durzaną
- Root: *dʰedʰórse

## Etymology
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 turren, Sanskrit दधर्ष (dadhárṣa), but also with Ancient Greek θρασύς (thrasús), Albanian nder, Lithuanian drįsti, Russian дерза́ть (derzátʹ).

## AI Etymology
dare comes 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 turren, Sanskrit दधर्ष (dadhárṣa), but also with Ancient Greek θρασύς (thrasús), Albanian nder, Lithuanian drįsti, Russian дерза́ть (derzátʹ). Current senses include to be brave enough to do something risky or frightening and to challenge someone to do something risky to prove their courage. English relatives and later formations include bedare, dairous, dare-say.

## Topics
- Describing People

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dare

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