2 VERB If you dare someone to do something, you challenge them to prove that they are not frightened of doing it. □ [V n to-inf] She looked at him, her eyes daring him to comment.
3 N‑COUNT [usu sing, usu as/for/on a N ] A dare is a challenge which one person gives to another to do something dangerous or frightening. □ When found, the children said they'd run away for a dare.
4 PHRASE If you say to someone ' don't you dare ' do something, you are telling them not to do it and letting them know that you are angry. [SPOKEN , FEELINGS ] □ Allen, don't you dare go anywhere else, you hear?
5 PHRASE You say ' how dare you ' when you are very shocked and angry about something that someone has done. [SPOKEN , FEELINGS ] □ How dare you pick up the phone and listen in on my conversations!
6 PHRASE You use ' dare I say it ' when you know that what you are going to say will disappoint or annoy someone. [POLITENESS ] □ My life has become predictable and, dare I say it, just a little dull.
7 PHRASE You can use ' I dare say ' or ' I daresay ' before or after a statement to indicate that you believe it is probably true.
dare|devil /deə r dev ə l/ (daredevils )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Daredevil people enjoy doing physically dangerous things. □ A daredevil parachutist jumped from the top of Tower Bridge today. ● N‑COUNT Daredevil is also a noun. □ He was a daredevil when young.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] You use daredevil to describe actions that are physically dangerous and require courage. □ The show's full of daredevil feats.
daren't /deə r nt/ Daren't is the usual spoken form of 'dare not'.
dare|say /deə r se I / → see dare
dar|ing /deə r I ŋ/
1 ADJ People who are daring are willing to do or say things which are new or which might shock or anger other people. □ Bergit was probably more daring than I was. □ He realized this to be a very daring thing to ask. ● dar|ing|ly ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ …a daringly low-cut dress.
2 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A daring person is willing to do things that might be dangerous. □ His daring rescue saved the lives of the youngsters.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Daring is the courage to do things which might be dangerous or which might shock or anger other people. □ His daring may have cost him his life.
dark ◆◆◇ /dɑː r k/ (darker , darkest )
1 ADJ When it is dark , there is not enough light to see properly, for example because it is night. □ It was too dark inside to see much. □ People usually draw the curtains once it gets dark. □ She snapped off the light and made her way back through the dark kitchen. ● dark|ness N‑UNCOUNT □ The light went out, and the room was plunged into darkness. ● dark|ly ADV [ADV -ed] □ …a darkly lit, seedy dance hall.
2 N‑SING The dark is the lack of light in a place. □ I've always been afraid of the dark.
3 ADJ If you describe something as dark , you mean that it is black in colour, or a shade that is close to black. □ He wore a dark suit and carried a black attaché case. ● dark|ly ADV [ADV after v, Also ADV adj/-ed] □ Joanne's freckles stood out darkly against her pale skin.
4 ADJ When you use dark to describe a colour, you are referring to a shade of that colour which is close to black, or seems to have some black in it. □ She was wearing a dark blue dress.
5 ADJ If someone has dark hair, eyes, or skin, they have brown or black hair, eyes, or skin. □ He had dark, curly hair.
6 ADJ If you describe a white person as dark , you mean that they have brown or black hair, and often a brownish skin. □ He's gorgeous – tall and dark.
7 ADJ [usu ADJ n] A dark period of time is unpleasant or frightening. □ This was the darkest period of the war.
8 ADJ [ADJ n] A dark place or area is mysterious and not fully known about. □ …the dark recesses of the mind.
9 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Dark thoughts are sad, and show that you are expecting something unpleasant to happen. [LITERARY ] □ Troy's chatter kept me from thinking dark thoughts.
10 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Dark looks or remarks make you think that the person giving them wants to harm you or that something horrible is going to happen. [LITERARY ] □ …dark threats. ● dark|ly ADV [ADV with v] □ 'Something's wrong here,' she said darkly.
11 ADJ [usu ADJ n] If you describe something as dark , you mean that it is related to things that are serious or unpleasant, rather than light-hearted. □ Their dark humor never failed to astound him. ● dark|ly ADV [ADV adj] □ The atmosphere after Wednesday's debut was as darkly comic as the film itself.
12 → see also pitch-dark