dare

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To be brave enough to do something risky or frightening.

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

2. 2
   verb

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

   I dare you to jump into the cold water.

3. 3
   noun

   A challenge to do something risky or foolish.

   He climbed the wall on a dare from his friends.

Common collocations

• double dare Adjective + noun
• accept a dare Verb + noun
• refuse a dare Verb + noun
• take a dare Verb + noun

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).

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