: tending to overwhelm or intimidate
a daunting task
Examples of daunting in a Sentence
Few things are more daunting than having to speak in front of a large crowd.
Shakespeare's plays can be daunting for a young reader.
Recent Examples on the Web
Marijuana − medical and recreational − is legal throughout more than half of the United States, and for some looking to familiarize themselves with the plant and its effects, learning all of the associated terminology may feel daunting.
—
Greta Cross, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
There’s more than science and math to baking, but the precise chemical reactions required to make a brownie chewy, cakey or fudgy, or the kinds of cause and effect that determine whether a dough rises or falls, can sometimes feel daunting.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
When faced with the daunting task of taking on the sizable upstairs primary suite, Azat's former career as an event producer served her well.
—Jessica Ritz, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2025
Preparing For The Audit The SOC 2 journey can seem daunting, but careful preparation is key.
—Navid Ashroff, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for daunting
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Greta Cross, USA Today, 18 Apr. 2025
There’s more than science and math to baking, but the precise chemical reactions required to make a brownie chewy, cakey or fudgy, or the kinds of cause and effect that determine whether a dough rises or falls, can sometimes feel daunting.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2025
When faced with the daunting task of taking on the sizable upstairs primary suite, Azat's former career as an event producer served her well.
—Jessica Ritz, Architectural Digest, 16 Apr. 2025
Preparing For The Audit The SOC 2 journey can seem daunting, but careful preparation is key.
—Navid Ashroff, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for daunting
Cite this Entry
“Daunting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daunting. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
daunting
adjective
daunt·ing
ˈdȯnt-iŋ 
: tending to overwhelm or intimidate
a daunting task
dauntingly
adverb
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share