daunting

Language: en

🇺🇸 /ˈdɔntɪŋ/

📖 Definitions

  1. adjective
    Seeming difficult to deal with in anticipation; intimidating or discouraging.; Causing fear or discouragement; tending to daunt.
  2. verb
    Present participle of 'daunt'; to intimidate or discourage someone.

🔗 Details

Word forms

3rd sing.: daunts Past: daunted Past part.: daunted Pres part.: daunting

Collocations

daunting taskdaunting challengedaunting prospectdaunting experienceseem dauntinglook dauntingdaunting obstacle

Derivatives

dauntingdauntinglyundauntedundauntedlydauntlessdauntlesslydauntlessness

Synonyms

intimidatingdiscouragingformidableoverwhelmingdishearteningfrightening

Antonyms

encouragingreassuringinviting

Commonly confused

taunting
EN: 'Daunting' means intimidating or discouraging; 'taunting' means mocking or provoking someone deliberately.

Spelling tips

EN: No common spelling issues. Note that 'daunt' is a relatively formal/literary verb; 'daunting' is far more commonly encountered as an adjective than 'daunt' is as a verb.

💬 Examples

  1. The prospect of climbing the mountain was daunting to the inexperienced hikers.

  2. She faced the daunting challenge of raising three children on her own.

  3. The sheer volume of work was daunting the new employees.