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Derring-do is a quirky holdover from Middle English that came to occupy its present place in the language by a series of mistakes and misunderstandings. In Middle English, dorring don meant simply "daring to do." The phrase was misprinted as derrynge do in a 15th-century work by poet John Lydgate, and Edmund Spenser took it up from there. (A glossary to Spenser's work defined it as "manhood and chevalrie.") Literary author Sir Walter Scott and others brought the noun into modern use.
Examples of derring-do in a Sentence
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Instead, showrunner Gemma Burgess has put together an irreverent engaging romp rife with witty banter, political intrigue, and a bit of derring-do—not to mention a killer soundtrack.
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Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
In 1927, a Captain Herman Archer wrote of Pershing’s career in a Chicago Tribune feature awash in colonialist derring-do.
—Paul A. Kramer, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2017
Much derring-do, in their quest for unimaginable riches, would ensue.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024
Cartoons, on the other hand, might be the most natural format for the superhero adaptation, providing a more liberating canvas and allowing for all manner of fantastic derring-do without the limiting factor of having to stuff real people in the frame.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024
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Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
In 1927, a Captain Herman Archer wrote of Pershing’s career in a Chicago Tribune feature awash in colonialist derring-do.
—Paul A. Kramer, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2017
Much derring-do, in their quest for unimaginable riches, would ensue.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 30 Oct. 2024
Cartoons, on the other hand, might be the most natural format for the superhero adaptation, providing a more liberating canvas and allowing for all manner of fantastic derring-do without the limiting factor of having to stuff real people in the frame.
—Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 1 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for derring-do
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Cite this Entry
“Derring-do.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derring-do. Accessed 6 Jan. 2025.
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