Daunting
/ˈdɔːntɪŋ/
adjectiveB2
Definition
Daunting means something looks hard or frightening, so it makes you feel nervous or afraid to try. It can be a task, situation, or challenge that seems big and not easy to handle. When something is daunting, it makes you think it will take a lot of effort or courage.
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⚡ See It in Action
Feeling worried or scared about a difficult task or challenge
- •Starting a new job can be daunting at first.
- •The idea of moving to a new country was daunting for her.
- •The test looked so daunting that some students felt like giving up.
Describing something that is very difficult to do or face
- •Climbing Mount Everest is a daunting challenge for even the best climbers.
- •Writing a book can be a daunting process that takes a lot of time.
- •The project seemed daunting because of its size and complexity.
🧲 Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "daunting" like "hard," but with a strong feeling of fear or worry mixed in, not just difficulty
- ✓Picture standing at the bottom of a very tall mountain and feeling unsure if you can climb it
- ✓It's the feeling you get before giving an important speech in front of many people — scary and big
- ✓Sounds like "DAWN-ting" → imagine the dawn (early morning) when you see a big shadow that looks scary but is just the morning light
- ✓Think of a story where a hero faces a big, scary monster that seems too strong to fight — that is daunting
- ✓NOT like "easy" (simple and comfortable), daunting is the opposite — it feels challenging and scary
- ✓NOT like "boring" (no excitement), daunting is full of tension and nervous energy
- ✓NOT like "dangerous" (risk of harm), daunting is more about fear of difficulty, not physical danger
🔄 Try Other Words
- •Intimidating: making someone feel frightened or nervous (Use when the focus is on fear or nervousness caused by something)
- •Challenging: requiring effort and skill (Use when emphasizing the need for skill or effort, less about fear)
- •Overwhelming: too much to handle easily (Use when something feels very big or too much to manage)
🔍 Unboxing
- •Prefix/root/suffix: "daunt" (to frighten or discourage) + "-ing" (adjective form showing ongoing feeling)
- •Etymology: From Old French "danter," meaning to frighten or tame
- •Historical development: Originally meant to frighten or scare someone; now used more to mean something makes you feel nervous or worried because it is hard
- •Modern usage: Used to describe tasks, situations, or challenges that feel scary or very difficult to start or face
💭 Reflect & Connect
•Can you think of a time when you felt a task was daunting but succeeded anyway? What helped you?
•How does the feeling of something being daunting affect the way people try new things or face challenges?
Fill in the blanks with the correct word:
1.The idea of speaking in front of a large crowd was daunting because it made her feel ___ and ___.
2.He found the new job daunting at first, but after some weeks, he felt more ___ and confident.
3.Unlike simple tasks, daunting challenges often require ___ and ___ to complete.
4.When a problem feels daunting, people sometimes ___ it or avoid trying at all.
5.The word daunting often pairs with ___ words like "task," "challenge," or "problem."
6.After seeing the daunting mountain, the hikers prepared carefully and ___ their plan.
7.You can tell a task is daunting when it makes someone feel ___ about starting it.