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If a task is daunting, it’s intimidating or overwhelming in a way that makes you not even want to try to do it.

Daunting is the progressive or continuous tense (the -ing form) of the verb daunt, meaning to intimidate or discourage. But daunting is commonly used as an adjective. It is almost always used to describe tasks, projects, or other things that need to be done.

Example: When I first started at this job, I was assigned the daunting task of reorganizing 10 years’ worth of files.

Daunting is the adjective form of the verb daunt. Daunt comes from the Old French danter, an alteration of donter, meaning “to conquer.” This word came from Latin ��dz����������, “to tame.” Daunt has been used in English since at least the 1300s, with daunting coming later.

When something is daunting, you dread doing it—it’s overwhelming and you don’t even know how to begin. Daunting is usually used to describe overwhelming tasks, like reading a 1,000-page book, or writing a 50-page paper, or having to read a 1,000-page book and then write a 50-page paper on it. Some things are daunting not because they would take a long time to do but simply because they’re intimidating, like the daunting prospect of having to speak in front of a room full of strangers. Sometimes, things are described as daunting even when they’re not all that important, like the daunting task of cleaning out the garage for the first time in 15 years, or the daunting commitment of streaming a 10-season TV show.

Some people try to make projects less daunting by breaking them down into smaller tasks, making a to-do list, and crossing things off one at a time. The best way to make an assignment seem less daunting and more doable? Starting it.

What are some other forms related to daunting?

• daunt (verb)
• dauntingly (adverb)

What are some synonyms for daunting?

• intimidating
• overwhelming

What are some words that share a root or word element with daunting?��

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• indomitable

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What are some words that often get used in discussing daunting?

• task
• prospect
• project
• assignment
• challenge
• obstacle
• discourage
• faze

Daunting is often used with words like task and prospect. It can refer to intimidating tasks that are serious or not-so-serious, as long as they’re overwhelming in some way.

Finding a book can be a somewhat daunting project. The Lush soap, however, is easily located.

— Modus dei 🥑 (@DavidFAHoinski)

The hardest thing about working at MS so far is just making sense of a huge company. There are unique acronyms, phrases, and systems. Knowing where to find simple information or get access to the things you need can be daunting. But coworkers are quick to help and advize…

— Justin Johnson (@profexorgeek)

idk who needs to see this, but that daunting task you’ve been putting off actually takes only 5 mins to complete. no need to procrastinate any further.

(yep, it’s me. i needed to see this. 🙂)

— Myles D. Moody (@mylesdmoody)

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Is daunting used correctly in the following sentence?

Going to a small gathering might seem like fun, but for someone with social anxiety it can be pretty daunting.