entry
intrepid
/ɪnˈtrɛpɪd/Fearless and boldly willing to face danger
From Proto-Indo-European via Latin in- (not) + Latin trepidus (anxious).
from Latin intrepidus
from Latin intrepidus
from French intrépide
from French intrépide
Word Ancestry
from Latin intrepidus
from Latin intrepidus
from French intrépide
from French intrépide
Picture a Roman facing a battlefield, a storm, or simply some alarming news: he might be trepidus, literally trembling with anxiety. Add Latin in-, meaning “not,” and the emotional weather suddenly clears—intrepidus is someone who is not trepidus. The word traveled through French as intrépide before entering English, preserving that neat bit of verbal engineering. Its nervous cousin survives in trepidation, while the opposite-looking intrepid describes explorers, soldiers, and anyone cheerfully walking toward danger. In 1966, Star Trek sent the USS Enterprise into the unknown; decades later, the fictional Intrepid class—best known through Voyager—gave this ancient Latin adjective a new set of starships to pilot.
The Story
Picture a Roman facing a battlefield, a storm, or simply some alarming news: he might be trepidus, literally trembling with anxiety. Add Latin in-, meaning “not,” and the emotional weather suddenly clears—intrepidus is someone who is not trepidus. The word traveled through French as intrépide before entering English, preserving that neat bit of verbal engineering. Its nervous cousin survives in trepidation, while the opposite-looking intrepid describes explorers, soldiers, and anyone cheerfully walking toward danger. In 1966, Star Trek sent the USS Enterprise into the unknown; decades later, the fictional Intrepid class—best known through Voyager—gave this ancient Latin adjective a new set of starships to pilot.
Modern Usage
Informally, a brave or risk-taking person; also a Star Trek starship class
Notable References
- Star Trek: Voyager
- USS Voyager
- Intrepid class
Kin & Kindred
From 'in-'·not; opposite of
Derived Terms
English words from this root
From 'trepidus'·anxious, nervous, trembling
Derived Terms
English words from this root
Sources
Etymonline
Urban Dictionary