“Venturesome” popped up as the word-of-the-day. Does it have a different meaning than adventurous?
According to Merriam-Webster, the answer is yes.
venturesome adjective
[VEN-cher-səm]
Origin: English, 17th century
1 : inclined to court or incur risk or danger : DARING
a venturesome investor
2 : involving risk : HAZARDOUS
a venturesome journey
venturesome
Like a venture capitalist, being “venturesome” implies seeking out risk. This is that friend who’s bold, nervy and gutsy, a bit on the audacious side. Love him or hate him, Elon Musk fits this group as does Richard Branson and Oprah Winfrey to a large degree.
In sports, think base jumpers and mountain climbers – though one of the most successful of all, Ed Viesturs, has written extensively about not being audacious, with a motto that’s kept him alive bagging all fourteen of the world’s highest peaks, Summiting is optional, but descending is mandatory.
adventurous
A person who is adventurous, on the other hand, is likely to seek out the unknown and is “disposed to cope with the new.” I’d put long distance backpackers in this category. We thrive on the day-to-day challenges of changeable weather and conditions, even if complaining along the way.
Mostly, it’s the wonder as the trail unfolds before us, a trail that can never quite be appreciated from pictures and trip reports until our feet are actually on it.
How about you?
One Response
I am “adventurous” and more of a risk-manager than risk-taker, though I am quite familiar with ‘unusual and difficult courses…!’