COURAGE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does courage mean? 

• COURAGE (noun)
  The noun COURAGE has 1 sense:

1. a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

  Familiarity information: COURAGE used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• COURAGE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

braveness; bravery; courage; courageousness

Hypernyms ("courage" is a kind of...):

spirit (a fundamental emotional and activating principle determining one's character)

Attribute:

brave; courageous (possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "courage"):

heart; mettle; nerve; spunk (the courage to carry on)

gallantry; heroism; valiance; valiancy; valor; valorousness; valour (the qualities of a hero or heroine; exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger (especially in battle))

dauntlessness; intrepidity (resolute courageousness)

Dutch courage (courage resulting from intoxication)

stoutheartedness (the trait of having a courageous spirit)

fearlessness (the trait of feeling no fear)

fortitude (strength of mind that enables one to endure adversity with courage)

Antonym:

cowardice (the trait of lacking courage)

Derivation:

courageous (possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching)

 Context examples 

So at last I took my courage in both hands, and I came down to get the papers for myself.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Take it and read it to me, for I have neither the strength nor the courage to do it myself.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

She was timid and afraid, but she possessed courage.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

His desperate courage was evicted by a great surge of fear.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

‘Pooh!’ said he, gripping hard at his courage.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

However, I had the courage to rise and draw my hanger, and attack them in the air.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

It was a risky move that required a lot of courage.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

I felt so injured by the inconsequential nature of this charge, that it gave me courage to be grave.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I must take action of some sort whilst the courage of the day is upon me.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

"Do you think Oz could give me courage?" asked the Cowardly Lion.

(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)