Standard Lemma guide

daresay

verb · 2 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.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌdɛəˈseɪ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdɛəseɪ/
  • General-American: /ˌdɛəɹˈseɪ/
  • General-American: /ˈdɛəɹˌseɪ/
  • General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D EH1 R S EY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

verb

Meaning 1

Chiefly in the form I daresay: to say something boldly; to affirm or assert.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, intransitive

Qualifier: originally

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

Chiefly in the form I daresay: to venture to say (as the speaker believes something is likely to be the case); to think something probable; to presume.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: broadly, intransitive

Examples

  • Are you going to stay up all night? I daresay that I am.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From dare say: dare (“to have enough courage (to do something)”) + say.