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Dare

//dɛə// name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Acronym of Drug Abuse Resistance Education. US, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
  2. 2
    A surname.
  3. 3
    Acronym of Dictionary of American Regional English. abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
Noun
  1. 1
    A challenge to prove courage.

    "I did it just for a dare."

  2. 2
    A small fish, the dace

    "The Dare is not unlike a Chub, but proportionably less; his Body is more white and flatter, and his Tail more forked."

  3. 3
    a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy wordnet
  4. 4
    The quality of daring; venturesomeness; boldness.

    "It lends a lustre […] / A large dare to our great enterprise."

  5. 5
    Defiance; challenge.

    "Childish, unworthy dares / Are not enough to part our powers."

Show 1 more definition
  1. 6
    In the game truth or dare, the choice to perform a dare set by the other players.

    "When asked truth or dare, she picked dare."

Verb
  1. 1
    To have enough courage (to do something). intransitive

    "I wouldn't dare (to) argue with my boss."

  2. 2
    To stare stupidly or vacantly; to gaze as though amazed or terrified. obsolete
  3. 3
    challenge wordnet
  4. 4
    To defy or challenge (someone to do something). transitive

    "I dare you to kiss that girl."

  5. 5
    To lie or crouch down in fear. obsolete
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  1. 6
    take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission wordnet
  2. 7
    To have enough courage to meet or do something, go somewhere, etc.; to face up to. transitive

    "Will you dare death to reach your goal?"

  3. 8
    to be courageous enough to try or do something wordnet
  4. 9
    To terrify; to daunt. transitive

    "For I have done those follies, those mad mischiefs, Would dare a woman."

  5. 10
    To drive larks to the ground by scaring them (for instance, with mirrors or hawks) so they can be caught in nets. archaic, transitive

    "I have an hobby can make larks to dare"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English durren, from Old English durran, from Proto-West Germanic *durʀan, from Proto-Germanic *durzaną (“to dare”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰedʰórse (“to dare”), reduplicated stative of the root *dʰers- (“to be bold, to dare”), an *-s- extension of *dʰer- (“to hold, support”). Cognates Cognate with Low German dören, Dutch durven, German turren, Sanskrit दधर्ष (dadhárṣa), but also with Ancient Greek θρασύς (thrasús), Albanian nder, Lithuanian drįsti, Russian дерза́ть (derzátʹ).

Etymology 2

From Middle English durren, from Old English durran, from Proto-West Germanic *durʀan, from Proto-Germanic *durzaną (“to dare”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰedʰórse (“to dare”), reduplicated stative of the root *dʰers- (“to be bold, to dare”), an *-s- extension of *dʰer- (“to hold, support”). Cognates Cognate with Low German dören, Dutch durven, German turren, Sanskrit दधर्ष (dadhárṣa), but also with Ancient Greek θρασύς (thrasús), Albanian nder, Lithuanian drįsti, Russian дерза́ть (derzátʹ).

Etymology 3

From Middle English daren, from Old English darian.

Etymology 4

English surname, spelling variant of Dear.

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