1
Core action
Make someone feel intimidated, discouraged, or less confident about attempting something.
Example
The scale of the archive may daunt a beginner.
daunt
/dɔːnt/ · DAWNTverb
Make someone feel intimidated, discouraged, or less confident about attempting something.
Use daunt to express this relationship precisely: make someone feel intimidated, discouraged, or less confident about attempting something.
What daunt Really Means
The word becomes easier to use when its closely related senses are separated and compared.
2
Common construction
Use this expression in its normal grammatical frame so the relationship between the surrounding ideas remains explicit.
Example
Steep terrain did not daunt the rescue team.
3
Reasoning effect
It tells the reader how to interpret the timing, scope, evidence, contrast, condition, or consequence in the statement.
Example
She refused to be daunted by early failures.
Use daunt Naturally
Notice how the surrounding noun or clause reveals the exact shade of meaning.
The scale of the archive may daunt a beginner.
Steep terrain did not daunt the rescue team.
She refused to be daunted by early failures.
Precision Matters
Daunt overlaps with several common words, but each carries a different emphasis.
daunt
vs.Means make someone feel intimidated, discouraged, or less confident about attempting something.
animated
Means lively, energetic, spirited, and full of visible interest or excitement.
daunt
vs.Means make someone feel intimidated, discouraged, or less confident about attempting something.
ardor
Means intense enthusiasm, passion, devotion, or emotional warmth.
daunt
vs.Means make someone feel intimidated, discouraged, or less confident about attempting something.
commend
Means praise or express approval of someone or something, especially for a worthy action or quality.
daunt
vs.Means make someone feel intimidated, discouraged, or less confident about attempting something.
deject
Means make someone feel dispirited, downhearted, or low in spirits.
Test daunt in Context
The difficulty could intimidate and discourage someone.
1
The complexity of the unfinished manuscript might ___ a less determined editor.