daunt
UK: dɔːnt | US: dɔːnt
vt. to make someone feel intimidated or discouraged
vt. to subdue or overcome with fear
daunt = daun<to tame> + t (inflectional suffix)
- daun (from Old French danter, from Latin domitāre, frequentative of domāre meaning "to tame, subdue")
- t (a common verb-forming suffix in Old French/Latin conjugations)
Etymology Origin:
The word daunt traces back to Latin domāre ("to tame"), which also gave rise to domesticate and dominant. Through Old French danter, it evolved into Middle English daunten, retaining its core sense of subduing or overpowering—initially in a physical sense (taming animals) and later metaphorically (intimidating people). The silent -t reflects its French inflectional ending.
The steep climb didn't daunt the experienced hiker.
She refused to be daunted by the critics' harsh comments.
His fierce glare was enough to daunt any opponent.
The team's early failures daunted their morale briefly.
No challenge is too great to daunt her determination.