daunting

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   Discouraging; inspiring fear.

   Deathes daunting dart where so his buffet lights, / Shall shape no change within my friendly corse: / But dead or liue, in heauen, in earth, in hell, / I wilbe thine where so my carkase dwell.

2. 2
   adj

   Intimidatingly impressive; awe-inspiring, overwhelming.

   [W]iſdome, much more all the excellencies of this Spirit) makes a mans face to ſhine; as the light of a Lanterne puts a luſtre upon the Lanterne, ſo the brightneſſe of theſe ſpirits puts a luſtre upon the men in whom they are. Men of ſuch ſpirts^([sic – meaning ſpirits]) as theſe are, have a daunting preſence in the eyes of thoſe who behold them.

3. 3
   adj

   Appearing to be difficult; challenging.

   It was a daunting task, but it was accomplished with some forward planning.

4. 4
   noun

   gerund of daunt.

   Face to face with the true mountains, / I stood silently and still; / Drawing strength for fancy's dauntings, / From the air about the hill, / And from Nature's open mercies, and most debonaire goodwill.

5. 5
   adj

   discouraging through fear

6. 6
   verb

   present participle and gerund of daunt

Etymology

From daunt + -ing.