1. Inclined to undertake new and daring enterprises: "routes first sailed ... by another generation of tough, adventurous seafarers, the clipper men" (Tim Zimmermann).
2. Requiring or characterized by boldness or daring; hazardous; risky: adventurous travels.
Synonyms: adventurous, adventuresome, audacious, daredevil, daring, venturesome
These adjectives mean inclined to undertake risks: adventurous pioneers; an adventuresome prospector; an audacious explorer; a daredevil test pilot; daring acrobats; a venturesome investor.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2018 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices
Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:
The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.