Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

derring-do

/ˌdɛɹɪŋˈduː/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.01 in modern English

Syllables: der-ring--do
IPA: /ˌdɛɹɪŋˈduː/

12

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

4

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

Valiant deeds in desperate times.

Uncountable

noun

Brave and adventurous (albeit often reckless) actions.

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"With a cry of sheer derring-do, the climber leapt across the chasm."
"Some pirates achieved immortality by great deeds of cruelty or derring-do. Some achieved immortality by amassing great wealth. But the captain had long ago decided that he would, on the whole, prefer to achieve immortality by not dying."

Etymology

From Middle English daring (to) do, misinterpreted as a noun by Edmund Spenser.

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Root: -

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˌdɛɹɪŋˈduː/
British English: /ˌdɛɹɪŋˈduː/

Usage

Uncountable

Phrases

derring-doery

Questions

How do you pronounce derring-do?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌdɛɹɪŋˈduː/.
What does derring-do mean?: Valiant deeds in desperate times.
Where does derring-do come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce derring-do

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “derring-do”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌdɛɹɪŋˈduː/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “derring-do”.
Repeat and practice — Say “derring-do” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.