dare
UK: deə | US: der
v. to have the courage to do something
v. to challenge someone to do something risky
n. a challenge to prove courage
The word "dare" originates from Old English durran, meaning "to venture, to have courage." It is rooted in Proto-Germanic ders-, which conveys boldness or audacity. Over time, it evolved into Middle English daren, retaining its core sense of courage and challenge. Unlike many verbs, "dare" preserves its ancient structure without clear prefix/root/suffix divisions, making it a compact, monomorphic word.
She didn’t dare to speak during the meeting.
I dare you to jump into the cold lake!
He accepted the dare to eat a whole chili pepper.
Do you dare to question the rules?
The children laughed after completing the silly dare.