daunting
gb/dˈɔntɪŋ/ us/dˈɔntɪŋ/
B2
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B2
property
1
intimidating; causing fear
making you feel afraid or not confident
Usage pattern:
[a daunting] [task/challenge/experience/situation]
Common mistake:
Often confused with 'difficult' only; 'daunting' also includes the feeling of being intimidated.
Synonyms
intimidating (focuses on making someone feel nervous or fearful.)
|
formidable (emphasizes impressive difficulty or strength.)
Antonyms
reassuring (makes someone feel calmer and more confident.)
|
nonthreatening (does not create fear or intimidation.)
Collocations
daunting task
|daunting challenge
|daunting experience
|daunting responsibility
|daunting situation
|daunting prospect
|daunting journey
|daunting thought
|daunting interview
|daunting exam
Themes
emotions
|social_life
Examples
- Walking into the courtroom was a daunting experience for her.
- The steep climb looked daunting from the bottom of the hill.
- He found the first day at a new school daunting.
Learner examples
- The test feels daunting.
- Moving to a new city can be daunting.
adjective
B2
property
2
seeming very hard to do
looking so difficult that you don’t want to start
Usage pattern:
[a daunting] [task/project/goal]
Common mistake:
Learners may incorrectly use 'daunted' for things (e.g., 'a daunted task'); use 'daunting' for the thing and 'daunted' for the person.
Synonyms
overwhelming (suggests being too much to handle at once.)
|
challenging (can be positive; 'daunting' is more discouraging.)
Antonyms
manageable (can be handled without too much difficulty.)
|
straightforward (simple and easy to understand or do.)
Collocations
daunting project
|daunting goal
|daunting workload
|daunting timetable
|daunting schedule
|daunting assignment
|daunting procedure
|daunting process
|daunting amount
|daunting list
Themes
work
|education
|daily_life
Examples
- Writing a dissertation can be daunting, but breaking it into steps helps.
- The paperwork was daunting at first, so she asked for guidance.
- Starting a business felt daunting without any savings.
Learner examples
- This project is daunting.
- The job seems daunting at first.
adjective
C1
property
3
large or complex in scale
very big or complex in a scary way
Usage pattern:
[a daunting] [number/amount/scale/complexity]
Common mistake:
Avoid using 'daunting' for neutral bigness; it usually implies discouragement or intimidation.
Synonyms
staggering (emphasizes surprising size; 'daunting' emphasizes discouragement.)
|
onerous (more formal; stresses burden or effort required.)
Antonyms
modest (small in size or amount and not intimidating.)
|
simple (not complex or hard to deal with.)
Collocations
daunting scale
|daunting complexity
|daunting numbers
|daunting statistics
|daunting cost
|daunting price tag
|daunting requirement
|daunting obstacles
|daunting barriers
|daunting backlog
Themes
business
|technology
|work
Examples
- The team faced the daunting scale of the cleanup after the flood.
- The migration revealed a daunting level of technical debt.
- The report laid out a daunting list of compliance requirements.
Learner examples
- The cost is daunting.
- The amount of work is daunting.
Grammar
Dictionary form
daunting
IPA
GB/dˈɔntɪŋ/
US/dˈɔntɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
daunt - ing (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (daunt)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: daunting
Word family
Expressions
a daunting challenge
1/ə dˈɔntɪŋ t͡ʃˈælɪnd͡ʒ/
fixed phrase
a difficult challenge to face
a challenge that seems very hard
Examples
- Learning to code can be a daunting challenge at first.
- The final level is a daunting challenge even for experienced players.
- Balancing full-time work and study is a daunting challenge.
a daunting prospect
1/ə dˈɔntɪŋ pɹˈɔspɛkt/
fixed phrase
a future possibility that scares
a future plan that feels scary or very hard
Examples
- She faced the daunting prospect of starting over in a new country.
- The daunting prospect of layoffs made everyone anxious.
- After the injury, the prospect of returning to competition felt daunting.
a daunting task
1/ə dˈɔntɪŋ tˈæsk/
fixed phrase
a very hard piece of work
a job that looks very difficult
Examples
- Cleaning out the garage felt like a daunting task.
- They took on the daunting task of rebuilding the website from scratch.
- For many people, filing taxes is a daunting task.
daunting odds
1/dˈɔntɪŋ ˈɑdz/
fixed phrase
very low chance of success
a very small chance of winning or succeeding
Examples
- The underdogs won despite daunting odds.
- With little funding, the team faced daunting odds from the start.
- She kept going even when the odds looked daunting.