daunt

C1 Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /dɔnt/ UK /dɔːnt/ See IPA manual

Freq #87223

Meanings

1

verb
To make someone feel nervous or less confident, so they are afraid to do something.

The size of the task did not daunt her in the least.
2

verb
To discourage or intimidate someone.

Difficult interview questions can daunt even the best candidates.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to make someone feel... dash

Word family

Forms daunteddaunts

Derived forms dauntabledaunteddaunter daunting dauntingly dauntlessdauntsomeundauntable undaunted

From Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, donter (“to tame”), from Latin domitō (“tame”, verb), frequentative of Latin domō (“tame, conquer”, verb), from Proto-Italic *domaō, from Proto-Indo-European *demh₂- (“to domesticate, tame”). Doublet of dompt.

*demh₂- Proto-Indo-European daunten Middle English danter Old French domitō Latin domō Latin *domaō Proto-Italic

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Topics

Emotions & Feelings Actions & Processes

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# daunt

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /dɔnt/
**IPA (UK):** /dɔːnt/
**Frequency rank:** 87223

## Meanings
1. To make someone feel nervous or less confident, so they are afraid to do something.
2. To discourage or intimidate someone.

## Examples
- The size of the task did not daunt her in the least.
- Difficult interview questions can daunt even the best candidates.

## Derived Forms
- dauntable
- daunted
- daunter
- daunting
- dauntingly
- dauntless
- dauntsome
- undauntable
- undaunted

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *demh₂-
- Root: daunten
- Root: danter
- Root: domitō
- Root: domō
- Root: *domaō

## Etymology
From Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, donter (“to tame”), from Latin domitō (“tame”, verb), frequentative of Latin domō (“tame, conquer”, verb), from Proto-Italic *domaō, from Proto-Indo-European *demh₂- (“to domesticate, tame”). Doublet of dompt.

## AI Etymology
Daunt is from Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, donter (“to tame”), from Latin domitō (“tame”, verb), frequentative of Latin domō (“tame, conquer”, verb), from Proto-Italic *domaō, from Proto-Indo-European *demh₂- (“to domesticate, tame”). Doublet of dompt. In present-day use, it can mean to make someone feel nervous or less confident, so they are afraid to do something, or to discourage or intimidate someone. Derived formations include dauntable, daunted, daunter, daunting, and dauntingly.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings
- Actions & Processes

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daunt

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