Bravery
n.resilient, capablewarm
What it means
The quality of facing fear, pain, risk, or difficulty and acting with courage.
Reach for it when honoring meaningful action taken despite a real cost or threat
Her bravery was clearest when she returned to guide the last passenger out.
Choose between these
7- playful
daring under pressure deserves informal admiration
not when the act calls for moral respect rather than cheek
- everyday
the broad inner strength to face difficulty is meant
not when a visible brave act should be highlighted
- professional
endurance through prolonged hardship matters
not when one decisive act rather than sustained suffering is praised
- formal
moral courage
speaking or acting rightly risks social cost
not when physical danger is what makes the action brave
- formal
courage in danger or conflict deserves ceremonial praise
not when ordinary personal honesty is the context
- literary
noble courage shown for others fits the historical tone
not when modern neutral wording is safer
- literary
pluck
spirited determination suits affectionate old-fashioned praise
not when the subject or audience requires contemporary language
Said against
3- cowardice
- timidity
- fearfulness
It naturally appears in
3- act of bravery
His act of bravery gave the trapped hikers time to move.
- show great bravery
The witnesses showed great bravery by returning to give evidence.
- quiet bravery
Quiet bravery carried her through months of difficult rehabilitation.
Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, Noun sense 1: courageous conduct opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.