dare

Universal Words verb, noun verb 1 (not usually used in the progressive tenses) to be brave enough to do sth: She said it as loudly as she dared. * He didn't dare (to) say what he thought. * They daren't ask for any more money. * (literary) She dared not breathe a word of it to anybody. * Dare to be different! * There was something, dare I say it, a little unusual about him. 2 to persuade sb to do sth dangerous, difficult or embarrassing so that they can show that they are not afraid: [VN] Go on! Take it! I dare you. * [VNtoinf] Some of the older boys had dared him to do it. -< MODAL IDIOMS Don't you dare! (spoken) used to tell sb strongly not to do sth: 'I'll tell her about it.' 'Don't you dare!' * Don't you dare say anything to anybody. How dare you, etc. used to show that you are angry about sth that sb has done: How dare you talk to me like that? * How dare she imply that I was lying? I dare say (also I daresay especially in BrE) used when you are saying that sth is probable: I dare say you know about it already. noun [usuallysing.] something dangerous, difficult or embarrassing that you try to persuade sb to do, to see if they will do it: (BrE) He climbed onto the roof for a dare. * (AmE) She learned to fly on a dare. ______________________________ GRAMMARPOINT dare Dare (sense 1) usually forms negatives and questions like an ordinary verb and is followed by an infinitive with to. It is most common in the negative: I didn't dare to ask. * He won't dare to break his promise. * You told him? How did you dare? * I hardly dared to hope she'd remember me. In positive sentences a phrase like not be afraid is often used instead: She wasn't afraid (= she dared) to tell him the truth. It can also be used like a modal verb especially in present tense negative forms in BrE, and is fol-lowed by an infinitive without to: I daren't tell her the truth. In spoken English, the forms of the ordinary verb are often used with an infinitve without to: Don't you dare tell her what I said! * I didn't dare look at him. ______________________________