courage
Americannoun
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the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.
- Synonyms:
- spirit, pluck, intrepidity, dauntlessness, fearlessness
- Antonyms:
- cowardice
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Obsolete. the heart as the source of emotion.
idioms
noun
-
the power or quality of dealing with or facing danger, fear, pain, etc
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the confidence to act in accordance with one's beliefs
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to nerve oneself to perform an action
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obsolete mind; disposition; spirit
Usage
What does courage mean? Courage is the quality of being ready and willing to face negative situations involving danger or pain.A close synonym is bravery. Showing courage is often thought of as facing such situations without fear, but it also involves facing them despite fear. In other words, someone who has courage might not be fearless, but they face the dangerous, difficult, or frightening situation anyway.The adjective courageous means having, showing, or done with courage. It can be used to describe people who have courage, or the actions of such people when they face negative situations resolutely. A close synonym is brave.Example: We should all show our appreciation for the courage of our first responders, who face danger every day but still, somehow, decide to show up and put the wellbeing of other people before their own safety.
Related Words
Courage, bravery, valor, bravado refer to qualities of spirit and conduct. Courage permits one to face extreme dangers and difficulties without fear: to take (or lose) courage. Bravery implies true courage with daring and an intrepid boldness: bravery in a battle. Valor implies heroic courage: valor in fighting for the right. Bravado is now usually a boastful and ostentatious pretense of courage or bravery: empty bravado.
Etymology
Origin of courage
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English corage, from Old French, equivalent to cuer “heart” (from Latin cor; heart ) + -age -age
Compare meaning
How does courage compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
“The people who’ve changed the world in progressive, radical or even revolutionary ways,” Morello said, “did not have any more money, power, courage, intelligence or creativity than anyone here tonight.”
From Los Angeles Times
My middle-school self took over, and my adult self lost the courage to disappoint the other kids.
America’s long-term strength depends on educating our next generation of leaders with the knowledge, moral clarity and courage to speak the truth and faithfully advance the nation’s core values and founding ideals.
When the media personality finally worked up the courage to quit, he said Banks gave him the cold shoulder.
From Los Angeles Times
"I want to commend the victim for her incredible courage in coming forward and reliving such a traumatic experience two decades later."
From BBC
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.
