Guts
n.resilient, capableplayful
What it means
Informal courage to face danger, difficulty, embarrassment, or responsibility.
Reach for it when praising nerve in candid speech without treating risk as automatically admirable
It took guts to admit the error in front of the whole team.
Choose between these
6- playful
intestinal fortitude
comic formality is deliberately part of the voice
not when The phrase is long, joking, and inappropriate for serious danger.
- playful
bold action under pressure is the visible quality
not when Nerve can imply audacity or entitlement rather than moral courage.
- everyday
the virtue should sound respectful and broadly applicable
not when Courage is more dignified and lacks the raw informality of guts.
- warm
facing fear or danger deserves clear praise
not when Bravery is stronger for hazards but less natural for admitting an awkward mistake.
- formal
endurance through sustained suffering is central
not when Fortitude is solemn and poorly suited to one quick bold decision.
- literary
firm principles resist pressure
not when Backbone suggests steadfastness and can become praise for stubbornness.
Said against
3- cowardice
- timidity
- spinelessness
It naturally appears in
3- take guts
It takes guts to stop a project after your own forecast proves wrong.
- show real guts
She showed real guts by protecting the junior worker who raised the alarm.
- have the guts
To have the guts to ask for help is its own kind of courage.
Where this comes from
Guts is informal and sometimes anatomical or crude. It should praise worthwhile courage, not needless risk-taking.
- Wiktionary, English noun informal sense: courage or fortitude 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.