daunt
ทำให้กลัว - Thai translation
Main Translations
- English: Daunt
- Thai: ทำให้กลัว (tham hai gluua)
- Phonetic: tham hai gluua (pronounced as "tɑm haɪ ɡluː.ɑ")
- Detailed Explanation: The word "daunt" is a verb that means to cause someone to lose courage or confidence, often by making them feel intimidated or overwhelmed. It is commonly used in scenarios involving challenges, risks, or threats. For example, in English, it carries a negative emotional connotation, implying a sense of discouragement or fear. In Thai, "ทำให้กลัว" emphasizes the aspect of instilling fear or hesitation, and it is frequently used in everyday conversations to describe situations where external factors, like difficult tasks or adversaries, affect one's resolve. Semantic nuances include its transitive nature, where the subject actively causes the effect on another person or group.
- Thai: ทำให้ท้อแท้ (tham hai tho thae)
- Phonetic: tham hai tho thae (pronounced as "tɑm haɪ tʰoː tʰɛː")
- Detailed Explanation: As a secondary translation, "ทำให้ท้อแท้" conveys a deeper sense of discouragement or demoralization, often linked to emotional exhaustion rather than immediate fear. This form is used in contexts where prolonged challenges erode motivation, such as in personal development or professional setbacks. Emotionally, it highlights nuances of hopelessness or defeat, making it suitable for introspective or motivational discussions. In Thai culture, this phrase might appear in self-help contexts, reflecting a semantic shift from active intimidation to internal response.
Overview of Usage Scenarios
The word "daunt" is primarily used as a verb in English and is versatile across contexts where intimidation, discouragement, or challenges are involved. Common usage scenarios include business settings (e.g., facing competition), leisure activities (e.g., overcoming personal fears), formal occasions (e.g., public speaking), and informal situations (e.g., everyday conversations about obstacles). It often appears in motivational or narrative contexts, emphasizing resilience against daunting tasks. In Thai translations, it adapts to cultural nuances, such as expressing collective societal pressures.
Example Sentences
Example Sentences in Different Scenarios
Business Scenario
- English: The competitive market did not daunt the startup team; instead, it motivated them to innovate.
- Thai: ตลาดที่แข่งขันกันอย่างดุเดือดไม่ได้ทำให้ทีมสตาร์ทอัพกลัว แต่กลับจุดประกายให้พวกเขานำนวัตกรรมมาใช้ (ta làat thîi kɛ̀ɛng khǎn gàn yàang dù deùt mâi dâi tham hai tîm sà tàat àp gluua tàe glàp jùt bprà kàat hai phûu khăo nǎm na wát grà móm mâi mâi chûai)
- Grammatical Breakdown: "The competitive market" (subject) is the agent causing the potential effect; "did not daunt" (verb in past tense) negates the action; "the startup team" (object) is the recipient. Words like "instead" and "motivated" add contrast and result.
- Structural Analysis: This is a complex sentence with a main clause ("did not daunt") and a subordinate clause ("instead, it motivated them"). It uses active voice to show agency, common in business English for emphasizing determination.
Leisure Scenario
- English: The steep hiking trail did not daunt the group of friends on their weekend adventure.
- Thai: เส้นทางเดินป่าที่ชันมากไม่ได้ทำให้กลุ่มเพื่อนกลัวในทริปผจญภัยสุดสัปดาห์ (sěn tàang dòn bpâa thîi chan mâak mâi dâi tham hai klùm phûu nêen gluua nai tríp pàt jàn phâi sùt sàp dàh)
- Grammatical Breakdown: "The steep hiking trail" (subject) acts as the intimidator; "did not daunt" (verb) shows negation; "the group of friends" (object) is affected. Phrases like "on their weekend adventure" provide context.
- Structural Analysis: A simple sentence structure with a subject-verb-object pattern, enhanced by prepositional phrases. It employs active voice to convey resilience, typical in leisure narratives.
Formal Occasion
- English: The CEO's speech was designed to daunt competitors during the annual conference.
- Thai: คำปราศรัยของซีอีโอได้รับการออกแบบมาเพื่อทำให้คู่แข่งกลัวในงานประชุมประจำปี (kham bprà sà rai khɔ̌ɔng sī ē ǒo dâi rap kaan àawk bpai mâ pʰûeu tham hai kùu kɛ̀ɛng gluua nai ngaan bprà chum bprà jam pii)
- Grammatical Breakdown: "The CEO's speech" (subject) is the tool; "was designed to daunt" (verb phrase in passive voice); "competitors" (object) are targeted. "During the annual conference" adds specificity.
- Structural Analysis: This is an intermediate complex sentence with a passive construction, suitable for formal contexts to emphasize strategy over direct action.
Informal Occasion
- English: Don't let that tough exam daunt you; you've got this!
- Thai: อย่าปล่อยให้ข้อสอบที่ยากทำให้คุณกลัวสิ คุณทำได้แน่นอน! (yàa bplɔ̀i hai kʰǒo sòp thîi yàak tham hai khun gluua sǐ, khun tham dâi nǎe nǒn!)
- Grammatical Breakdown: "Don't let" (imperative form); "that tough exam" (subject of the infinitive clause); "daunt you" (verb and object). "You've got this" is an idiomatic encouragement.
- Structural Analysis: An imperative sentence with an embedded clause, used informally to build morale. It promotes a conversational tone.
Example Sentences in Different Sentence Types
Declarative Sentence
- English: High expectations can daunt even the most confident athletes.
- Thai: ความคาดหวังสูงสามารถทำให้กลัวนักกีฬาที่มั่นใจที่สุดได้ (khwaam kàt wàang sǔung sǎa mǎa dâi tham hai gluua nàk gì lá thîi man jàt thîi sùt dâi)
- Grammatical Breakdown: "High expectations" (subject); "can daunt" (modal verb + main verb); "even the most confident athletes" (object with intensifier).
- Structural Analysis: Straightforward declarative structure, stating a fact with modal verbs for possibility.
Interrogative Sentence
- English: Does the idea of public speaking daunt you?
- Thai: ความคิดเรื่องการพูดในที่สาธารณะทำให้คุณกลัวหรือ? (khwaam khit rûeang gaan phûut nai thîi sà thǎa rà nǎ tham hai khun gluua rʉ̌?)
- Grammatical Breakdown: "Does" (auxiliary verb for question form); "the idea of public speaking" (subject); "daunt you" (verb + object).
- Structural Analysis: Interrogative structure with subject-verb inversion, used to seek information or provoke reflection.
Imperative Sentence
- English: Don't let failure daunt your ambitions.
- Thai: อย่าปล่อยให้ความล้มเหลวทำให้ความทะเยอทะยานของคุณกลัว (yàa bplɔ̀i hai khwaam lom lʉ̌m lə̌w tham hai khwaam ta yʉa ta yan khɔ̌ɔng khun gluua)
- Grammatical Breakdown: "Don't let" (imperative negation); "failure" (subject); "daunt your ambitions" (verb + object).
- Structural Analysis: Direct command structure, common in motivational contexts to inspire action.
Exclamatory Sentence
- English: How nothing could daunt her spirit amazed everyone!
- Thai: ช่างน่าอัศจรรย์ที่ไม่มีอะไรสามารถทำให้จิตใจของเธอกลัวได้! (chàng ná àt sàt jà rʉ̌y thîi mâi mǐ à rai sǎa mǎa dâi tham hai jìt jai khɔ̌ɔng thoe gluua dâi!)
- Grammatical Breakdown: "How" (exclamation starter); "nothing could daunt" (subject-verb phrase); "her spirit" (object).
- Structural Analysis: Exclamatory form with emphasis on surprise, using complex phrasing for emotional impact.
Example Sentences of Different Difficulties
Simple Sentence
- English: Fear can daunt people.
- Thai: ความกลัวสามารถทำให้คนกลัวได้ (khwaam gluua sǎa mǎa dâi tham hai khon gluua dâi)
- Grammatical Breakdown: "Fear" (subject); "can daunt" (verb); "people" (object).
- Structural Analysis: Basic subject-verb-object structure, ideal for beginners.
Intermediate Sentence
- English: Despite the risks, she refused to be daunted by the challenge.
- Thai: แม้จะมีความเสี่ยงแต่เธอปฏิเสธที่จะถูกทำให้กลัวโดยความท้าทาย (mɛ̀ jà mǐ khwaam sǐiang tàe thoe bpàt tì sèt thîi jà thùk tham hai gluua dòi khwaam tà taà y)
- Grammatical Breakdown: "Despite the risks" (subordinate clause); "she refused" (main verb); "to be daunted" (infinitive phrase).
- Structural Analysis: Compound structure with conjunctions, adding depth for intermediate learners.
Complex Sentence
- English: Although the project seemed daunting at first, with perseverance and support, the team overcame it successfully.
- Thai: แม้ว่าโครงการจะดูน่ากลัวในตอนแรกแต่ด้วยความอดทนและการสนับสนุน ทีมก็สามารถเอาชนะมันได้อย่างสำเร็จ (mɛ̀ wâa kaan gaàn jà duu ná gluua nai dtôn ràk tàe dùy khwaam òt tan làe gaan sà nùp sà nùn tîm gò sǎa mǎa dâi aò chá ná man dâi yàang sǎm rʉ́t)
- Grammatical Breakdown: "Although the project seemed daunting" (subordinate clause); "with perseverance and support" (prepositional phrase); "the team overcame it" (main clause).
- Structural Analysis: Multi-clause structure with subordination, suitable for advanced usage to convey nuanced outcomes.
Related Phrases and Expressions
Synonyms/Near Synonyms:
- Intimidate – Used to describe making someone fearful through threats, often in confrontational scenarios.
- Discourage – Refers to reducing enthusiasm or confidence, commonly in motivational contexts.
Antonyms:
- Encourage – Involves boosting confidence or motivation, opposite in emotional impact.
- Embolden – Means to make someone braver or more determined, used in empowering situations.
Common Collocations:
- Daunt someone – Refers to directly affecting an individual's courage, e.g., in personal challenges.
- Be daunted by something – Describes feeling overwhelmed, often in everyday obstacles.
Cultural Background and Usage Habits
Cultural Background:
- Cultural Point 1: In Western cultures, particularly English-speaking ones, "daunt" often appears in literature and media to symbolize personal growth, as seen in stories like those in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, where characters face daunting tasks to build resilience. This reflects a cultural emphasis on individualism and overcoming adversity.
Usage Habits:
- Habit 1: "Daunt" is moderately frequent in formal English writing and speeches but less common in casual Thai conversations, where equivalents like "ทำให้กลัว" are popular among younger demographics in urban areas. It is often used in educational or professional settings, with higher frequency in motivational content.
Grammar Explanation
- Grammatical Function: "Daunt" functions primarily as a transitive verb, requiring an object (e.g., "daunt someone"). It can act as the main verb in a sentence or part of a verb phrase.
- Tense and Voice: It changes across tenses (e.g., present: daunt; past: daunted; future: will daunt) and can be used in active voice (e.g., "The challenge daunted him") or passive voice (e.g., "He was daunted by the challenge"). This flexibility allows for varied sentence constructions.
References
Etymology and History:
The word "daunt" originates from the Old French "danter," meaning to tame or subdue, which evolved from the Latin "domitare," a frequentative form of "domare" (to tame). By the 14th century, it entered Middle English with its current sense of intimidating or discouraging, reflecting historical contexts of conquest and personal challenges.
Literary References:
- In Shakespeare's "Henry V," the line "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more" implies not being daunted by battle, showcasing resilience in the face of adversity (from Act 3, Scene 1).
- In modern literature, J.K. Rowling's "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" uses similar themes: "The Dementors don't affect him... they can't daunt him" (Chapter 10), illustrating emotional strength in fantasy narratives.