Daunt
/dɔːnt/
verbB2
Definition
Daunt means to make a person feel nervous or less brave because something seems hard or scary. When someone is daunted, they might feel unsure if they can do a task or face a problem. It often happens before starting something new or difficult.
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⚡ See It in Action
To make someone feel less confident or worried about a challenge
- •The difficult exam did not daunt her; she studied harder.
- •The long journey daunted the travelers at first, but they kept going.
- •He was daunted by the idea of speaking in front of a large crowd.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of 'daunt' like 'scare,' but it is more about making someone feel unsure or worried, not very frightened
- ✓Picture a tall mountain that looks hard to climb, making a person hesitate or feel small
- ✓It's the feeling you get before a big test when you think it might be too hard to pass
- ✓Sounds like 'haunt' → imagine a ghost making you feel nervous or afraid to go forward
- ✓In stories, heroes often feel daunted before facing a big challenge but decide to be brave anyway
- ✓NOT like 'fear' (strong feeling of danger), 'daunt' is more about losing confidence or feeling worried about difficulty
- ✓NOT like 'encourage' (make brave), 'daunt' means the opposite—making someone less confident
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Intimidate: to make someone feel afraid or less confident (Use when someone or something tries to make you feel smaller or weaker)
- •Discourage: to make someone less eager or willing (Use when someone loses hope or interest because of difficulty)
- •Frighten: to make someone feel fear (Use when the feeling is strong and sudden)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Word parts: (no prefix or suffix, root word 'daunt')
- •Etymology: From Old French 'danter,' meaning to tame or frighten
- •Historical development: Originally meant to tame or control by fear; now means to make someone lose confidence
- •Modern usage: Used when describing feelings of worry or loss of courage before hard tasks
💭 Reflect & Connect
•Can something be too difficult to daunt a person, or do people always find ways to be brave?
•How does feeling daunted affect your decisions when trying new activities or challenges?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The large crowd did not ___ him from giving his speech, even though he was nervous.
2.She felt ___ by the amount of homework, so she made a plan to finish it step by step.
3.Unlike fear, daunt is more about losing ___ than sudden fright.
4.When people feel daunted, they often need ___ encouragement to continue.
5.The challenge was so big that it could ___ even the most confident person.
6.He tried not to be ___ by the difficult questions on the test.
7.Feeling daunted can sometimes ___ a person from trying something new.