mettle

[met-l]

noun

1. courage and fortitude.

   a man of mettle.

   Synonyms: fiber, nerve, ardor, vigor, pluck, valor

2. disposition or temperament.

   a man of fine mettle.

mettle

/ ˈmɛtəl /

noun

1. courage; spirit

2. inherent character

3. roused to putting forth one's best efforts

Word History and Origins

Origin of mettle¹

1575–85; spelling variant of metal, in metaphoric usages

Word History and Origins

Origin of mettle¹

C16: originally variant spelling of _metal

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on one's mettle, in the position of being incited to do one's best.

   The loss of the first round put him on his mettle to win the match.

Example Sentences

At the time, despite Picasso’s global renown, few collectors had the mettle for the revolutionary but difficult Cubist epoch.

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The Americans won’t have to wait long for an opportunity to prove their mettle.

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Anisimova had already beaten her in London, proving her mettle as one of the few players on tour who could match her power from the baseline.

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I don’t see the big deal about the continuation of the USC-Notre Dame rivalry when the Trojans can annually test their mettle against such powerhouses as Missouri State and Georgia Southern!

Read more on Los Angeles Times

What happens after the honeymoon will be the real test of Markle’s mettle.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• bravery 
• caliber 
• courage 
• fortitude 
• grit 
• spunk 
• stamina 
• temperament