Library / English Dictionary

DARE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy

Example:

he could never refuse a dare

Synonyms:

dare; daring

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("dare" is a kind of...):

challenge (a call to engage in a contest or fight)

Derivation:

dare (challenge)

dare (to be courageous enough to try or do something)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Challenge

Example:

I dare you!

Synonyms:

dare; defy

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "dare" is one way to...):

challenge (issue a challenge to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "dare"):

brazen (face with defiance or impudence)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody to INFINITIVE

Sentence example:

They dare him to write the letter

Derivation:

dare; daring (a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

Example:

How dare you call my lawyer?

Synonyms:

dare; make bold; presume

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "dare" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s INFINITIVE

Sense 3

Meaning:

To be courageous enough to try or do something

Example:

she dares to dress differently from the others

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "dare" is one way to...):

act; move (perform an action, or work out or perform (an action))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s INFINITIVE

Derivation:

dare (a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy)

daring (the trait of being willing to undertake things that involve risk or danger)

Credits

 Context examples: 

I should like to very much; but no, no, no, it is quite impossible; I dare not.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

"Then," said I, blushing, I dare say, as I said it, "let it be named Lake Gladys."

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But, in truth, she did not dare to strike Dorothy, because of the mark upon her forehead.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)

“I dare not come within reach of his arms, and he knows that so long as his resistance is passive I cannot shoot him.”

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

How dare you touch that coronet?

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Her, I had not dare to take into this place, but left safe from the Vampire in that Holy circle; and yet even there would be the wolf!

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

I dare say that in the course of the day I shall drop in at Norwood and see how you are getting on.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Again, of course no subordinate would have dared to do such a thing.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

He skirted the frowning shores on rim ice that bent and crackled under foot and upon which they dared not halt.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

I admired your spirit; and I dare say we shall get home very well.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)