Meanings
plural daredevils
- A person who engages in very risky behavior, especially one who is motivated by a craving for excitement or attention.First known use 1794
Even as a youngster, Steven was a bit of a daredevil riding up homemade wooden ramps on his BMX.
Synonyms: adrenaline junkie, adventurer, thrill-seeker
comparative more daredevil · superlative most daredevil
- Recklessly bold; adventurous.First known use 1832
The climactic scene of “Rebel without a Cause” is the group of very daredevil teens playing chicken.
1 more example
Not only do they glide gracefully with burdens on their heads, they bend to pick money that has been flung at them; dash across roads with cars zooming by and the most daredevil do all this with a child strapped to their back.
2012, Chibundu Onuzo, The Spider King’s Daughter, Faber and Faber (2013), page 27
present singular third person daredevils · US participle present daredeviling · UK participle present daredevilling · US participle past daredeviled · US past daredeviled · UK participle past daredevilled · UK past daredevilled
- intransitiveTo behave in a reckless, adventurous, or physically risky manner.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA person who engages in very risky behavior, especially one who is motivated by a craving for excitement or attention.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivepresumptuously daring
nouna reckless impetuous irresponsible person
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
From dare + devil; an exocentric compound, "one who dares the devil".
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian луда глава, смелчага
- луда глава (luda glava)person who engages in risky behavior
- смелчага (smelčaga)person who engages in risky behavior
- гидия (gidija)person who engages in risky behavior
- безразсъден (bezrazsăden)recklessly bold; adventurous
- гидия (gidija)recklessly bold; adventurous
Catalan temerari
- temerarirecklessly bold; adventurous
Chinese Mandarin 膽大妄為的人 /胆大妄为的人, 鋌而走險的人 /铤而走险的人
- 膽大妄為的人 /胆大妄为的人 (dǎndàwàngwéi de rén)person who engages in risky behavior
- 鋌而走險的人 /铤而走险的人 (dìng'érzǒuxiǎn de rén)person who engages in risky behavior
Dutch waaghals
- waaghalsperson who engages in risky behavior
Esperanto riskemulo, riskema
- riskemuloperson who engages in risky behavior
- riskemarecklessly bold; adventurous
Finnish huimapää, hurjapää
- huimapääperson who engages in risky behavior
- hurjapääperson who engages in risky behavior
- uskalikkoperson who engages in risky behavior
French casse-cou, casse-cou
- casse-couperson who engages in risky behavior
- casse-courecklessly bold; adventurous
German Wagehals, Waghals
- Wagehalsperson who engages in risky behavior
- Waghalsperson who engages in risky behavior
- Draufgängerperson who engages in risky behavior
- Draufgängerinperson who engages in risky behavior
- tollkühnrecklessly bold; adventurous
Greek ριψοκίνδυνος, παράτολμος
- ριψοκίνδυνος (ripsokíndynos)person who engages in risky behavior
- παράτολμος (parátolmos)recklessly bold; adventurous
Hungarian fenegyerek
- fenegyerekperson who engages in risky behavior
Italian spericolato, temerario
- spericolatoperson who engages in risky behavior
- temerarioperson who engages in risky behavior
- scapestratoperson who engages in risky behavior
- scavezzacollorecklessly bold; adventurous
Japanese 命知らず, 荒武者
- 命知らず (inochishirazu)person who engages in risky behavior
- 荒武者 (aramusha)person who engages in risky behavior
- 我武者羅 (gamushara)person who engages in risky behavior
Māori manawa kai tūtae, waewae kai kapua
- manawa kai tūtaeperson who engages in risky behavior
- waewae kai kapuaperson who engages in risky behavior
Norwegian våghals
- våghalsperson who engages in risky behavior
Polish szaleniec
- szaleniecperson who engages in risky behavior
Portuguese temerário
- temerárioperson who engages in risky behavior
Russian сорвиголова́, смельча́к
- сорвиголова́ (sorvigolová)person who engages in risky behavior
- смельча́к (smelʹčák)person who engages in risky behavior
- лиха́ч (lixáč)person who engages in risky behavior
- удале́ц (udaléc)person who engages in risky behavior
Spanish arriesgado, temerario
- arriesgadoperson who engages in risky behavior
- temerarioperson who engages in risky behavior
- temerariorecklessly bold; adventurous
- arriesgadorecklessly bold; adventurous
Swedish våghals
- våghalsperson who engages in risky behavior
Turkish gözü pek
- gözü pekperson who engages in risky behavior
Ukrainian шиба́йголова, зірви́голова
- шиба́йголова (šybájholova)person who engages in risky behavior
- зірви́голова (zirvýholova)person who engages in risky behavior
- смільча́к (smilʹčák)person who engages in risky behavior
- сміли́вець (smilývecʹ)person who engages in risky behavior
- молоде́ць (molodécʹ)person who engages in risky behavior
- пали́вода (palývoda)person who engages in risky behavior
- проби́йголова (probýjholova)person who engages in risky behavior
Cite this entry
daredevil. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/daredevil
“daredevil.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/daredevil. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “daredevil,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/daredevil.
Source: daredevil on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.