daredevil 1 of 2

adjective

ˈder-ˌde-vᵊl How to pronounce daredevil (audio)
Definition of daredevilnext
1
as in reckless
foolishly adventurous or bold his daredevil stunts are sure to end in disaster someday

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in daring
having or showing a lack of concern for the consequences of one's actions a daredevil driver who thinks that drag racing on city streets is a harmless game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

daredevil

2 of 2

noun

as in cowboy
a person who seeks out very dangerous or foolhardy adventures with no apparent fear that little daredevil has broken an arm and an ankle this year alone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective daredevil contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of daredevil are adventurous, daring, foolhardy, rash, reckless, and venturesome. While all these words mean "exposing oneself to danger more than required by good sense," daredevil stresses ostentation in daring.

daredevil motorcyclists

When would adventurous be a good substitute for daredevil?

The synonyms adventurous and daredevil are sometimes interchangeable, but adventurous implies a willingness to accept risks but not necessarily imprudence.

adventurous pioneers

When could daring be used to replace daredevil?

In some situations, the words daring and daredevil are roughly equivalent. However, daring implies fearlessness in courting danger.

daring mountain climbers

When is foolhardy a more appropriate choice than daredevil?

The meanings of foolhardy and daredevil largely overlap; however, foolhardy suggests a recklessness that is inconsistent with good sense.

the foolhardy sailor ventured into the storm

Where would rash be a reasonable alternative to daredevil?

Although the words rash and daredevil have much in common, rash suggests imprudence and lack of forethought.

a rash decision

When might reckless be a better fit than daredevil?

The words reckless and daredevil can be used in similar contexts, but reckless implies heedlessness of probable consequences.

a reckless driver

In what contexts can venturesome take the place of daredevil?

While the synonyms venturesome and daredevil are close in meaning, venturesome implies a jaunty eagerness for perilous undertakings.

venturesome stunt pilots

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of daredevil
Adjective
Colerain Township native and daredevil photographer Isaac Wright was arrested May 15 at the end of his first solo gallery exhibition in New York City, his lawyer said. —Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025 Then there was the subplot of a daredevil robot named Saymo who broke up with his girlfriend in front of a crowd on a studio lot, then tried to roll off a ramp and fly over a car. —Jason Zinoman, New York Times, 20 May 2025
Noun
The French daredevil and mountaineer has not been seen since descending the 29,032-ft. mountain on Sept. 8, 2002, and his body has never been found. —Mark Gray, People.com, 1 July 2025 The character is a daredevil who embodies elements of real-life drivers Max Verstappen and James Hunt, bringing a high racing IQ and a knack for bending the rules to his advantage. —Sahil Kapur, NBC news, 17 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for daredevil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for daredevil
  1. reckless
  2. daring
  3. cowboy
  4. courageous
  5. adventurous
  6. devil
  7. brave
  8. madman
Adjective
  • The charges of reckless endangerment of children are because Reed is accused of firing a gun in a parking lot where children were present, North Richland Hills police spokesperson Carissa Katekaru said.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur, in contrast, cut one of the most open — stroke reckless — teams the Premier League has encountered, with different intensity levels entirely, shown above.
    — Phil Hay, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of reckless
Adjective
  • More daring vacationers can rent kayaks or hop on a whale-watching excursion, Sunset said.
    — Hannah Poukish, Sacbee.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Glass has become fundamentally linked with Apple’s products and architecture, including its flagship stores’ expensive and daring experiments in architectural uses of glass.
    — Aki Ishida, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
Definition of daring
Noun
  • What exactly is a cowboy breakfast biscuit?
    — Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 7 Sep. 2025
  • Bighorn Scenic Byway Wyoming Embrace your inner cowboy with a drive along the Bighorn Scenic Byway, which takes you over the crest of the Big Horn Mountains and to spots like the city of Sheridan, where New West meets Old West in the historic downtown.
    — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2025
Definition of cowboy
Adjective
  • This is a courageous act that requires vulnerability over cowardice.
    — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The school has been the courageous standard bearer of academic freedom in the assault on higher education.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Definition of courageous
Adjective
  • The adventurous archaeologist travels the globe looking for missing artifacts and historical treasures.
    — Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 7 Sep. 2025
  • For something more adventurous, Smyril Line runs a weekly ferry between Denmark, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland.
    — David Nikel, Forbes.com, 6 Sep. 2025
Definition of adventurous
Noun
  • If his dad is his guardian angel, looks like Dexter now has a devil on his shoulder, too.
    — Nick Caruso, TVLine, 5 Sep. 2025
  • The term Jab Jab itself comes from the French term for devil.
    — Mankaprr Conteh, Rolling Stone, 23 Aug. 2025
Definition of devil
Adjective
  • Hundreds of thousands of Israelis have returned to the streets demanding a brave leadership.
    — Ron Scherf, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
  • So carefree, fearless, brave and radiant.
    — Staff Author, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025
Definition of brave
Noun
  • Praying with your feet means to move, to advance, to take, literally, steps to make sure innocents are not gunned down in church or school by a madman.
    — Joe Soucheray, Twin Cities, 6 Sep. 2025
  • But there’s still something delectable about Guillermo del Toro, a director who is both a visionary and a genre classicist, returning to the original horror novel, the tale of monsters and madmen that gave birth to all subsequent tales of monsters and madmen.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025
Definition of madman

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Cite this Entry

“Daredevil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/daredevil. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on daredevil

Nglish: Translation of daredevil for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about daredevil

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