Word of the Day: Daunt

Daunt [(dônt] is a verb meaning “to discourage, to frighten.” The adjective daunting usually has the sense of “intimidating.”

Putting together the Cubs playoff roster will be a daunting task for general manager Jim Hendry and manager Lou Piniella, and though both say they haven’t even thought about it yet, you know they have a pretty good idea of who they want playing for them in October. (Chicago Tribune)

UN weapons inspectors, in their second week on the job, plan to take their cues from analysts in Vienna and New York who could spend weeks scrutinizing the Iraqi report and comparing it with previous information…UN officials say that will present a daunting challenge even for the 100 inspectors expected to be in place by Christmas. (Los Angeles Times)