mettlesome

American  

[met-l-suhm] / ˈmɛt l səm /

adjective

1. spirited; courageous.

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Etymology

Origin of mettlesome

First recorded in 1655–65; mettle + -some ¹

Example Sentences

Two mettlesome productions from feminist-leaning companies are pondering hard realities in the lives of modern women.

From Washington Post

And Juliet’s mettlesome temper became the engine that fueled the drama, above all in Act III, in which she seldom leaves the stage.

From New York Times

To read a book about the pleasures, epiphanies and mettlesome feats someone has accumulated over the course of an incredibly long walk is to be fascinated, jealous and, most of all, incredulous.

From New York Times

The weather does its best to massacre his New Yorkers, tormenting them with frigid winters and suffocating summers; their response to the vital challenge is to show off the mettlesome resilience of the human animal.

From The Guardian

"Take care of my toes, master," exclaimed a stout citizen; "your horse is mettlesome."

From Project Gutenberg