courage

noun

the courage of firefighters is just awesome

Syn:

bravery, courageousness, pluck, pluckiness, valour, fearlessness, intrepidity, nerve, daring, audacity, boldness, grit, true grit, hardihood, heroism, gallantry; informal guts, spunk, moxie, cojones, balls

Ant:

cowardice

••

courage, fortitude, guts, nerve, pluck, resolution, tenacity

Courage is what makes someone capable of facing extreme danger and difficulty without retreating (the courage to confront the enemy head-on). It implies not only bravery and a dauntless spirit but the ability to endure in times of adversity (a mother's courage in the face of her loss). Someone who has guts, a slang word indicating an admirable display of courage when it really counts (having the guts to stand up to one's boss), might also be described as having "intestinal fortitude", a cliché that is more formal and means the same thing. Fortitude is the most formal of any of these words; it suggests firmness or strength of mind rather than physical bravery (the fortitude to stand up for his beliefs). Resolution also implies firmness of mind rather than fearlessness, but the emphasis is on the determination to achieve a goal in spite of opposition or interference (a woman of strong resolution, not easily held back by her male superiors). Tenacity goes one step beyond resolution, adding stubborn persistence and unwillingness to acknowledge defeat (the tenacity of a bulldog). Nerve and pluck are informal words. Pluck connotes high spirits, conviction, and eagerness (the pluck to volunteer her time even after she'd been laid off), while nerve is the cool, unflappable daring with which someone takes a calculated risk (the nerve to take over the controls and land the plane safely). Nerve can also refer to brashness or even rudeness in social situations (She had the nerve to go to his house without calling first).