inner strength

American  

[in-er strengkth, strength, strenth] / ˈɪn ər ˈstrɛŋkθ, ˈstrɛŋθ, ˈstrɛnθ /

noun

1. mental power or endurance, such as willpower, courage, self-confidence, or self-discipline.

   Her inner strength and her deep love of dancing helped her survive the ebbs and flows of a long career.

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Etymology

Origin of inner strength

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

It was a hard emotional transition, but the experience gave me discipline and inner strength.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

What inner strength does that take on one hand, and what desire does it take on the other hand?

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2025

Still vulnerable and lonely and isolated and maybe somewhat awkward, but I wanted him to have a kind of inner strength.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 30, 2024

But the video reveals her to be a woman of enormous inner strength.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2024

Despite my romantic deficiencies, I gradually adjusted to township life, and began to develop a sense of inner strength, a belief that I could do well outside the world in which I had grown up.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• self-assurance