Etymologically
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daredevil

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 23:52. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈdɛədɛvəl/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English dare + devil, one who dares the devil.[2][3][4] For the formation, the OED compares cutthroat and scarecrow, and Etymonline also killjoy, pickpocket and dreadnought.[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

A recklessly daring person: Etymonline records it, also written dare devil, in 1684, in early use especially of someone careless of religious morality.[3] The OED's first quotation is from a work by John Wolcot of 1794,[2] the date Merriam-Webster also gives for the noun.[5]

Semantic evolution

In its early use the word often meant someone who defied religion: Etymonline cites a morality lecture of 1767 with a character called Daniel Daredevil, a cheat, debauchee and atheist.[3] By the 1790s it was also a racehorse's name.[3] The adjective, "recklessly daring", is dated by the OED to 1832, in Washington Irving's Alhambra,[2] by Etymonline to 1827,[3] and by Merriam-Webster to 1727.[5] The noun daredevilry is recorded from the mid-19th century.[4]

Timeline

  • 1684 – a recklessly daring person, especially one heedless of religion.[3]
  • 1767 – Daniel Daredevil, a character in a morality lecture.[3]
  • 1794 – one ready to dare the devil, in John Wolcot.[2][5]
  • 1832 – adjective, recklessly daring, in Washington Irving.[2] Etymonline dates the adjective to 1827.[3]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A person who is recklessly bold and seems unafraid of danger, especially one who performs dangerous stunts.[5][6][2]

Adjective

  1. Recklessly daring; typical of a daredevil: a daredevil leap from the bridge.[5][6][2]

Word family

  • daredevilry
  • daredeviltry

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ a b c d e Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins