dare

noun countable usually singular

UK /deə(r)/

Word Forms

singular	dare
plural	dares

1
an attempt to persuade someone to do something dangerous in order to prove that they are brave
‘Why don’t you fight him?’ ‘Is that a dare?’
for a dare:
When he was 14, he had stayed out all night for a dare.
Synonyms and related words
Methods used to persuade someone
pressure
wiles
emotional blackmail

dare

noun countable usually singular

US /der/

Word Forms

singular	dare
plural	dares

1
an attempt to persuade someone to do something dangerous in order to prove that they are brave
“Why don’t you fight him?” “Is that a dare?”
on a dare:
When he was 14, he had stayed out all night on a dare.
Synonyms and related words
Methods used to persuade someone
pressure
wiles
emotional blackmail

dare

verb

UK /deə(r)/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	dare
he/she/it	dares
present participle	daring
past tense	dared
past participle	dared

Dare can be used in the following ways:

as an intransitive verb (followed by an infinitive with ‘to’): He doesn’t dare to complain. (without a following infinitive): She never went there on her own – she didn’t dare to.

as a modal verb (followed by an infinitive without ‘to’): No one dared speak. (without a following infinitive): Fight with him if you dare. When dare is a modal verb, the third person singular of the present tense does not end in ‘-s’. When dare is a modal verb, negatives and questions are formed without ‘do’, and the negative dare not can be shortened to daren’t in conversation and in informal writing: Dare he tell her the truth?He dare not/daren’t lie.

as a transitive verb (with an object usually followed by an infinitive with ‘to’): Someone dared him to climb the tree.

1
intransitive never progressiveif you dare to do something, you are not afraid to do it, even though it may be dangerous or shocking or may cause trouble for you
Larry argue with the boss? He wouldn’t dare.
I drove as fast as I dared.
dare to do something:
Andrei Sakharov was one of the few people who dared to protest.
dare do something:
Neither of the superpowers would have dared use nuclear weapons.
dare not do something:
I daren’t risk offending Audrey’s parents.
hardly dare:
I hardly dare to go into the room without first getting permission.
Synonyms and related words
To take risks
risk
dare
jeopardize
2
transitive never passiveto try to persuade someone to prove that they are not afraid to do something that is dangerous or likely to cause trouble
I dare you:
Go on, phone the police. I dare you.
dare someone to do something:
The older boys dared Jennings to go up on the roof.
Synonyms and related words
To encourage someone to do or to not do something
encourage
persuade
convince

phrases

dare hope/dream/believe

dare I say (it)

don’t you dare

hardly dare (to) breathe

how dare you

I dare say

dare

verb

US /der/

Word Forms

present tense
I/you/we/they	dare
he/she/it	dares
present participle	daring
past tense	dared
past participle	dared

Dare can be used in the following ways:

as an intransitive verb (followed by an infinitive with “to”): He doesn’t dare to complain. (without a following infinitive): She never went there on her own – she didn’t dare to.

in very formal speech or writing as a modal verb (followed by an infinitive without “to”): No one dared speak. (without a following infinitive): Fight him if you dare. When dare is a modal verb, the third person singular of the present tense does not end in “-s.” When dare is a modal verb, negatives and questions are formed without “do”: Dare he tell her the truth?He dare not lie.

as a transitive verb (with an object usually followed by an infinitive with “to”): Someone dared him to climb the tree.

1
intransitive never progressiveif you dare to do something, you are not afraid to do it, even though it may be dangerous or shocking or may cause trouble for you
Larry argue with the boss? He wouldn’t dare.
I drove as fast as I dared.
dare to do something:
Andrei Sakharov was one of the few people who dared to protest.
dare do something:
Neither of the superpowers would have dared use nuclear weapons.
hardly dare:
I hardly dare to go into the room without first getting permission.
Synonyms and related words
To take risks
risk
dare
jeopardize
2
transitive never passiveto try to persuade someone to prove that they are not afraid to do something that is dangerous or likely to cause trouble
I dare you:
Go on, call the police. I dare you.
dare someone to do something:
The older boys dared Jimmy to go up on the roof.
Synonyms and related words
To encourage someone to do or to not do something
encourage
persuade
convince

phrases

dare (to) hope/dream/believe

dare I say (it)

don’t you dare

hardly dare (to) breathe

how dare you

I dare say

dare

dare

dare ​‌‌

dare ​‌‌

dare

dare