to overcome with fear; intimidate: to daunt one's adversaries.
2.
to lessen the courage of; dishearten: Don't be daunted by the amount of work still to be done.
Origin: 1250–1300;Middle Englishda(u)nten < Anglo-Frenchda(u)nter,Old Frenchdanter, alteration of donter (probably by influence of dangier power, authority; see danger) < Latindomitāre to tame, derivative of domitus, past participle of domāre to tame
c.1300, from O.Fr. danter, var. of donter, from L. domitare, freq. of domare "to tame" (see tame). Originally "to vanquish;" sense of "to intimidate" is from late 15c.