Standard Lemma guide

daredevil

adj · noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈdɛədɛvəl/
  • UK: [ˈdɛədɛvəɫ]
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D EH1 R D EH2 V AH0 L Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Recklessly bold; adventurous.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The climactic scene of “Rebel without a Cause” is the group of very daredevil teens playing chicken.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A person who engages in very risky behavior, especially one who is motivated by a craving for excitement or attention.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Even as a youngster, Steven was a bit of a daredevil riding up homemade wooden ramps on his BMX.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: adrenaline junkie, adventurer, thrill-seeker

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

To behave in a reckless, adventurous, or physically risky manner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

presumptuously daring

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a daredevil test pilot having the right stuff

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: temerarious

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a reckless impetuous irresponsible person

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: madcap, hothead, swashbuckler, lunatic, harum-scarum

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: adventurer, venturer

Narrower terms: tearaway

History

Etymology

From dare + devil; an exocentric compound, "one who dares the devil".

Across languages

Translations

67 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: зухаваты (zuxavaty) — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • Bulgarian: безразсъден (bezrazsǎden) — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • Bulgarian: гидия (gidija) — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • Catalan: temerari — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • Esperanto: riskema — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • French: casse-cou — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • Georgian: თავზეხელაღებული (tavzexelaɣebuli) — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • German: tollkühn — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • Greek: παράτολμος (parátolmos) — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • Italian: scavezzacollo — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • Serbo-Croatian: nebojša — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • Spanish: temerario — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • Spanish: arriesgado — recklessly bold; adventurous
  • Belarusian: сарвігалава́ (sarvihalavá) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Belarusian: смяльча́к (smjalʹčák) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Belarusian: ліха́ч (lixáč) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Belarusian: зух (zux) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Central Bikol: kaskasero — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Central Bikol: paspasero — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Bulgarian: луда глава (luda glava) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Bulgarian: смелчага (smelčaga) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Bulgarian: гидия (gidija) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Chinese Mandarin: 膽大妄為的人 /胆大妄为的人 (dǎndàwàngwéi de rén) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Chinese Mandarin: 鋌而走險的人 /铤而走险的人 (dìng'érzǒuxiǎn de rén) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Dutch: waaghals — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Esperanto: riskemulo — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Finnish: huimapää — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Finnish: hurjapää — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Finnish: uskalikko — person who engages in risky behavior
  • French: casse-cou — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Georgian: თავზეხელაღებული (tavzexelaɣebuli) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • German: Wagehals — person who engages in risky behavior
  • German: Waghals — person who engages in risky behavior
  • German: Draufgänger — person who engages in risky behavior
  • German: Draufgängerin — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Greek: ριψοκίνδυνος (ripsokíndynos) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Hungarian: fenegyerek — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Italian: spericolato — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Italian: temerario — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Italian: scapestrato — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Japanese: 命知らず (inochishirazu) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Japanese: 荒武者 (aramusha) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Japanese: 我武者羅 (gamushara) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Kyrgyz: тартынбас (tartınbas) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Macedonian: буен младеж (buen mladež) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Macedonian: луда глава (luda glava) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Malayalam: സാഹസികൻ (sāhasikaṉ) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Māori: manawa kai tūtae — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Māori: waewae kai kapua — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Norwegian: våghals — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Polish: szaleniec — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Portuguese: temerário — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Russian: сорвиголова́ (sorvigolová) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Russian: смельча́к (smelʹčák) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Russian: лиха́ч (lixáč) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Russian: удале́ц (udaléc) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Spanish: arriesgado — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Spanish: temerario — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Swedish: våghals — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Turkish: gözü pek — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Ukrainian: шиба́йголова (šybájholova) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Ukrainian: зірви́голова (zirvýholova) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Ukrainian: смільча́к (smilʹčák) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Ukrainian: сміли́вець (smilývecʹ) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Ukrainian: молоде́ць (molodécʹ) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Ukrainian: пали́вода (palývoda) — person who engages in risky behavior
  • Ukrainian: проби́йголова (probýjholova) — person who engages in risky behavior
Real reading context

daredevil in complete knowledge articles