noun
-
courage; spirit
-
inherent character
-
roused to putting forth one's best efforts
Etymology
Origin of mettle
1575–85; spelling variant of metal, in metaphoric usages
Explanation
Mettle is the courage to carry on. If someone wants to "test your mettle," they want to see if you have the heart to follow through when the going gets tough. Having the mettle to do something means you have guts. In short, you're a pretty impressive person. If you have the intellectual mettle to enter a political debate, not only do you know a lot about politics, but you have the spunk to show it off. Metal and mettle were once used interchangeably meaning a solid material like gold and the "stuff a person is made of" — until everyone got confused and the words went their separate ways.
Vocabulary lists containing mettle
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Tragedy of Macbeth
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Divisive primaries happen for a reason; they can help parties work out policy disagreements or stress-test candidates’ mettle.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
How long before the mettle of the governing bodies is tested?
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
But in recent years, they have rediscovered their mettle.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
For many shareholders, the true test of Abel’s mettle will be his ability to put Berkshire’s record amount of cash to work.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 19, 2026
And there the Golden Company had proved its mettle.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
