as in discouraging
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in frustrating
to lessen the courage or confidence of
the raging inferno didn't daunt the firefighters for a moment
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of daunting
Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 3 Feb. 2026
The Coast Guard’s Sector Boston commander, Jamie Frederick, has said icy temperatures and stormy conditions made finding survivors at night difficult, a task made even more daunting by a nor’easter approaching the East Coast over the weekend.
—Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2026
Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
The economic barriers are as daunting as the cultural ones.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for daunting
Adjective
But closing for any amount of time can be a daunting proposition for independent restaurant owners.
—Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 3 Feb. 2026
The Coast Guard’s Sector Boston commander, Jamie Frederick, has said icy temperatures and stormy conditions made finding survivors at night difficult, a task made even more daunting by a nor’easter approaching the East Coast over the weekend.
—Michael Casey, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2026
Verb
The schedule is going to be daunting.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2026
The economic barriers are as daunting as the cultural ones.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for daunting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daunting
Adjective
-
Yet seldom is heard a discouraging word when Darnold assesses what happened in New York, Carolina, San Francisco, or Minnesota.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Their status has been diminished by what has — charitably — been a really discouraging decade, featuring two separate relegations.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The Mammoth have the pace and scoring depth to be a troublesome first-round opponent for either Vegas or Edmonton, and there’s a sense that they’re just getting started.—
Thomas Drance,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose parents left Cuba a few years before Fidel Castro took power, has eyed the regime in Havana as one of the world’s most pernicious, inhumane and troublesome.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
With little to no foil for this dismaying existence, however, Half His Age often succumbs to shock value in lieu of pushing beyond that which offends.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Democratic leaders actually were troubled by Mamdani’s rise (although their preference for a disgraced former governor was equally dismaying), but Democratic voters handed Mamdani a solid victory despite his radical positions.—
Steven Greenhut,
Oc Register,
28 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
None of the emails unearthed so far appear to indicate criminal activity, but are—like the photos—disconcerting.—
Eve Batey,
Vanity Fair,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Here, the opening sentence is disconcerting because the speaker is coming back to a physical space, but is returning from an absence, which is not a physical space.—
Akhil Sharma,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The bump was later ruled a penalty, but the disheartening finish had Santos-Griswold considering retirement.—
Aliza Chasan,
CBS News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
If right, their conclusion implies a disheartening lesson amid the otherwise-welcome news.—
Charles Fain Lehman,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Others displays have felt more dispiriting.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Some might take issue that actual recordings get used, but given the message this expertly made film so emphatically presents, that haunting voice makes the film all that more powerful, meaningful and dispiriting.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
After a demoralizing six-game losing streak that looked to have ended their playoff chances, the Leafs now appear to have life.—
Joshua Kloke,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
UConn shot 8-for-15 from 3-point range in the first half to Creighton’s 5-for-10, and went on a demoralizing 10-2 scoring run over the final two minutes of the half to take a 41-30 lead into the break.—
Joe Arruda,
Hartford Courant,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Daunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daunting. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
