# dare

/ˈdɛɹ/ (US) · /dˈeə/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/dare
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. to have courage

verb · CEFR B1

to be brave enough to do something difficult or dangerous.

For teachers: to possess sufficient courage to undertake a particular action; functions as both a lexical verb and a semi-modal.

- I didn't dare to tell him the truth about what happened to his car.
- Few politicians would dare to challenge the consensus on such a sensitive issue during an election year.

Usage: Can be followed by a 'to'-infinitive or a bare infinitive in negative and interrogative sentences.

### 2. to challenge someone

verb · CEFR B2

to challenge someone to do something dangerous or difficult to prove they are brave.

For teachers: to defy or challenge someone to perform an action, typically as a test of courage.

- The other boys dared him to jump off the high wall into the water.
- The opposition leader dared the prime minister to call an immediate election to settle the dispute.

Usage: Follows the pattern: dare + object + to-infinitive.

### 3. a challenge

noun · CEFR B2

a challenge to do something brave or silly, often as a game.

For teachers: an act of defying or challenging someone to prove their courage.

- He climbed the old tree as a dare from his friends.
- What started as a simple dare among teenagers quickly escalated into a dangerous stunt that required emergency intervention.

### 4. truth or dare

noun · CEFR B1 · Informal

a choice in a game where you must do something difficult instead of answering a question.

For teachers: a specific choice within the social game 'truth or dare' involving the performance of a task.

- She chose a dare and had to sing a song in front of the whole party.
- During the game, he reluctantly accepted a dare that involved calling his boss after midnight.

## Examples

- I jumped into the cold lake on a dare.
- She accepted the dare to sing a song in front of the entire office during the party.
- What began as a harmless childhood dare eventually evolved into a lifelong passion for high-altitude mountaineering and extreme sports.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.