Daunt
Daunt (dant; 277) , transitive verb
[Old French danter, French dompter to tame, subdue, from Latin domitare, v. intens. of domare to tame. See Tame.]
1.
To overcome; to conquer. [Obsolete]
2.
To repress or subdue the courage of; to check by fear of danger; to cow; to intimidate; to dishearten.
Some presences daunt and discourage us.