Derring-Do

Derring-Do

ˌderiNGˈdo͞o

Noun

  • Action displaying heroic courage.

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Example Sentences

“The spy novel was filled with instances of bold derring-do.”

“Elizabeth dreamed of being swept off her feet by a suitor’s derring-do.”

“The parade honored the town’s generations of veterans and their acts of derring-do.”

Word Origin

Middle English, late 16th century

Why this word?

The term “derring-do” came about through a chain of mistakes and misinterpretations. The Middle English version, “dorrying don,” was a verb phrase that meant “daring to do,” but it was misprinted as “derrynge do” in 16th-century writings. From there, it was mistaken as a noun by poet Edmund Spenser, who defined it as “manhood and chevalrie [chivalry].” Author Sir Walter Scott and several Romantic poets used it in their work and brought “derring-do,” meaning “acts of heroic courage,” into (somewhat) modern language.

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