daunting
/ˈdɔːn.tɪŋ/Making you feel nervous or worried because something seems very difficult or large. You feel less confident before you even try.
- Moving to a new country can feel daunting at first.
- The long reading list looked daunting before the exam.
- Starting a business is daunting, but many people succeed.
To make someone feel less brave or confident about doing something hard. Used as a present participle or in passive constructions.
- Nothing daunted her — she applied for every job.
- He was daunted by the size of the project.
Adinary Nuance
Daunting is often confused with intimidating, overwhelming, and challenging — its three closest neighbors. Use daunting when a task or situation makes you hesitate before you start; the focus is on your emotional response to difficulty, not the difficulty itself. Intimidating usually points to a person or powerful presence that makes you feel small, while daunting points to a challenge or situation. Overwhelming suggests there is simply too much to handle at once — it can happen mid-task — but daunting is typically felt before you begin. Challenging is the neutral or even positive cousin: saying a task is "challenging" implies it is hard but worth doing; calling it "daunting" adds a note of hesitation or self-doubt.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- khó khăn
- Spanish
- intimidante
- Chinese
- 令人生畏
- Japanese
- 恐ろしい
- Korean
- 두려운
Etymology
From Old French "danter" and Latin "domitare," meaning to tame or subdue, entering Middle English around the 14th century. The sense shifted from physically overpowering someone to emotionally discouraging them.
Common phrases
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between 'daunting' and 'intimidating'?
- 'Daunting' describes a task or situation that makes you feel nervous before you try it. 'Intimidating' usually describes a person, group, or powerful presence that makes you feel small or afraid. A test can be daunting; a strict teacher can be intimidating.
- Is 'daunting' a formal or informal word?
- 'Daunting' sits comfortably in formal and semi-formal writing. It is common in IELTS essays, academic writing, and news articles. It is not slang, so it always sounds natural in professional contexts.
- Can I use 'daunting' in IELTS Writing Task 2?
- Yes — 'daunting' is an excellent academic word for IELTS. Phrases like 'a daunting prospect' or 'daunting challenges' are natural in argument and discussion essays about education, career, or social issues.
- Is 'daunting' always negative?
- Mostly yes, but it is not harsh. It signals honest difficulty or fear without sounding defeatist. Saying something is 'daunting but achievable' is a common, realistic tone used in motivational and academic writing.