Translation guide
Expresses feeling intimidated, discouraged, or overwhelmed by a difficult situation or task. Japanese often uses verbs for losing courage, shrinking back, or being overwhelmed rather than a single direct equivalent.
To describe being psychologically overwhelmed or losing one's nerve when facing something difficult.
He wasn't daunted by the difficulties.
I was daunted by my opponent's strength.
To feel nervous or lose confidence in front of others or a challenging situation. Implies being daunted by social pressure or the scale of a task.
I was daunted by speaking in front of a large crowd.
To recoil or be taken aback, often momentarily. Used when something unexpected or intimidating makes you step back mentally.
I was daunted by his fierce attitude.
To be overwhelmed or overpowered by something immense. Often used when the scale or intensity of a task is daunting.
I was daunted by the amount of work.
To get scared or lose one's nerve. More about fear making you hesitant. Slightly colloquial.
I was daunted by the height and couldn't move.
To express losing motivation or feeling disheartened when something seems too hard.
To be discouraged, lose heart, or be daunted by setbacks. Often used for emotional discouragement.
Don't be daunted by a single failure.
To be daunted or disheartened, often in a casual, everyday sense. Common in negative form: めげない (resilient).
Literally 'heart breaks', meaning to be mentally defeated or daunted to the point of giving up. Somewhat dramatic.
ひるむ is about momentary hesitation or flinching in the face of something intimidating, while くじける is about lasting discouragement after a setback. Use ひるむ for immediate reactions and くじける for emotional deflation.
There is no single Japanese verb that directly equals 'be daunted'. Avoid literal translations like だうんとされる. Instead, choose a verb that matches the nuance: intimidation, discouragement, or overwhelm.
彼は少しくらいの批判ではめげない。
He isn't daunted by a little criticism.
I'm almost daunted by how difficult it is.