(adjetive) Tending to overwhelm or intimidate someone or something.(Merriam Webster)

Ive always encountered this word in class whenever a teacher explains a seemingly terrifying assignment that’s due.

“Project 2 is going to be about 1000 words, we can make that a goal, but I hope this does not daunt you to much”

The teacher is hoping that the students don’t feel intimidated by the huge word count that is expected by the teacher.