intrepid

Definitions

in- (not) + trepidus (alarmed, trembling) + -id (adj.) = 'not trembling, unshaken.' It names the person who refuses to shake when danger appears — the intrepid explorer or reporter. Curiously, the positive base 'trepid' has nearly died out, so we meet this root mostly in its negative.

Why It Means This

Intrepid is built on a fossil. Its base, trepid ('fearful'), barely exists in modern English, yet intrepid thrives — a rare case where the negation outlived the original. Literally 'not trembling,' it praises someone who stays steady where others would shake.

Common Collocations

• 1.intrepid explorer无畏的探险家
• 2.intrepid traveler无畏的旅行者
• 3.intrepid journalist勇敢的记者
• 4.intrepid adventurer无畏的冒险家

Example Sentences

• 1.

  The intrepid explorer crossed the desert alone.

• 2.

  An intrepid journalist reported from the front line.

• 3.

  She made an intrepid decision to start over in a new country.

Easily Confused

intrepid vs brave/fearless — Brave is the everyday word; fearless means literally without fear. Intrepid adds a flavor of bold adventuring into the unknown — it pairs naturally with explorer, traveler, journalist, less so with a soldier holding a line.