dareverb
uk/deər/us/der/dare verb (BE BRAVE/RUDE)
B2 [ I not continuous ] to be brave enough to do something difficult or dangerous, or to be rude or silly enough to do something that you have no right to do:
I was going to ask if his dog was better, but I didn't dare in case she had died.
[ + (to) infinitive ] Everyone in the office complains that he smells awful, but nobody dares (to) mention it to him.
[ + infinitive without to ] I wouldn't dare have a party in my flat in case the neighbours complained.
Dare you tell him the news?
I don't dare think how much it's going to cost.
UK I daren't think how much it's going to cost.
UK Do you dare (to) tell him the news?
I'd never dare (to) talk to my mother the way Brandon talks to his.
[ + to infinitive ] He was under attack for daring to criticize the mayor.
See also
daresay
More examples
- She fixed the child with a stare of such disapproval he did not dare move.
- I didn't dare say anything for fear of offending him.
- I wouldn't dare say anything against him to his mother!
- I dare not let the children out of my sight in this park.
- He's a bit possessive about his CDs - I wouldn't dare ask to borrow them.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Taking risks
- a drowning man will clutch at a straw idiom
- a leap in the dark idiom
- adventurer
- ante
- be skating on thin ice idiom
- expose
- go for broke idiom
- have/put your head on the block idiom
- hazard
- imperil
- jeopardize
- lay
- neck
- risk
- run the risk of doing sth idiom
- sail
- sail close to the wind idiom
- skate
- stick (sth) out
- stick your neck out idiom
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dare verb (ASK)
C1 [ T ] to ask someone to do something that involves risk:
Wear the low-cut blouse with your pink shorts - go on, I dare you!
[ + to infinitive ] I dare you to ask him to dance.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Making appeals & requests
- a cry for help idiom
- appellate
- application
- ask for sb
- beseech
- besiege
- besought
- bum
- cri de coeur
- crowdsource
- freeloader
- gateway
- hit
- hit sb up
- I'll thank you to do sth idiom
- pester
- petition
- request
- scrounge
- sponge
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Idiom(s)
don't you dare
how dare she, you, etc.!
darenoun [ C ]
uk/deər/us/der/something you do because someone dares you to:
He jumped in the river at twelve o'clock last night as (also US on/UK for) a dare.
Thesaurus: synonyms and related words
Competing and contending (non-sporting)
- cat
- challenge
- close-run
- competitive
- contend
- contender
- contest
- contestant
- entry
- go in for sth
- one-upmanship
- pit sb/sth against sb/sth
- pit your wits against sb/sth idiom
- play cat and mouse idiom
- play sb/sth off against sb/sth
- race
- rivalry
- scramble
- square
- try out for sth
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