In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
DAUNTING
daunting, intimidating
(adjective) discouraging through fear
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
daunting (comparative more daunting, superlative most daunting)
Discouraging; inspiring fear.
Synonyms: disconcerting, dismaying, formidable, frightening, unnerving, unsettling
Antonym: undaunting
Intimidatingly impressive; awe-inspiring, overwhelming.
Synonym: intimidating
Antonym: undaunting
Appearing to be difficult; challenging.
Synonyms: formidable, intimidating
Antonym: undaunting
Noun
daunting (plural dauntings)
gerund of daunt.
The act of discouraging or intimidating; discouragement, intimidation.
The act of defeating, overcoming, or overwhelming.
Synonyms: taming, vanquishing
Verb
daunting
present participle of daunt
Source: Wiktionary
DAUNT
Daunt, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Daunted; p. pr. & vb. n. Daunting.] Etym: [OF. danter, F. dompter to tame, subdue, fr. L. domitare, v. intens. of domare to tame. See Tame.]
1. To overcome; to conquer. [Obs.]
2. To repress or subdue the courage of; to check by fear of danger; to cow; to intimidate; to dishearten. Some presences daunt and discourage us. Glanvill.
Syn.
– To dismay; appall. See Dismay.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
29 June 2025
ADMIRABLE
(adjective) deserving of the highest esteem or admiration; “an estimable young professor”; “trains ran with admirable precision”; “his taste was impeccable, his health admirable”
Coffee Trivia
