What does daunting mean?
"Daunting" is an adjective used to describe something that seems intimidating or discouraging because of its apparent difficulty, size, or complexity. A daunting task, challenge, or prospect is one that feels overwhelming when you contemplate tackling it — not necessarily impossible, but enough to make you hesitate. The word derives from the verb "to daunt," meaning to subdue or intimidate, which itself traces back through Old French to the Latin "domare," meaning to tame or conquer — the same root that gives us "dominate" and "domestic." In modern usage, "daunting" typically appears before a noun, as in "a daunting amount of work" or "the daunting task of learning a new language." It carries a slightly formal tone but is common in journalism, business writing, and everyday speech alike. The related adjective "dauntless" — fearless and undeterred — is essentially its opposite in spirit, describing someone whom nothing can daunt.
adjectiveSeeming difficult to deal with in anticipation; intimidating or discouraging through apparent size, complexity, or difficulty.
- (of a task, prospect, or situation) seeming difficult to deal with in anticipation; intimidating through its scale, complexity, or difficulty
"Writing her first novel felt like a daunting task, but she began anyway."
"The sheer volume of paperwork made applying for the visa a daunting process."
"Facing the reigning champions was a daunting prospect for the young team."
"Daunt" comes from the Latin "domare" — the same root behind "dominate" — so to daunt someone is literally to tame their spirit.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of daunting
The adjective "daunting" derives from the verb "daunt," which entered English from Old French "danter" in the late Middle Ages, ultimately stemming from the Latin "domitare," a frequentative form of "domare" meaning "to tame or subdue." This same Latin root underlies "dominate" and "domestic," making "daunt" a distant cousin of words about control and conquest. By the sixteenth century, "daunting" had taken on its modern participial-adjective sense of something that intimidates or discourages.
Related word forms
How daunting is actually used
Predominantly used attributively ("a daunting task") rather than predicatively, and almost always with a negative connotation of something discouragingly large or complex. Common in both formal and everyday registers.
Easily confused with daunting
"Daunting" means intimidating or discouraging, while "haunting" means lingering poignantly in the mind, as a memory or melody does.
"Daunting" describes something that intimidates, whereas "taunting" refers to mocking or jeering at someone.