intestinal fortitude

intestinal fortitude

A firefighter shows great intestinal fortitude when entering a burning building.

Definition

Noun (idiom): - Courage and resilience: "intestinal fortitude" refers to the ability to face difficulty, danger, or pain without fear; bravery and endurance in challenging situations. It is a synonym for "guts" or "nerve," emphasizing inner strength.

Usage Examples
  • (She demonstrated great courage and determination.)
  • (The leader’s bravery motivated others to endure.)
  • (One needs courage to oppose unfairness under threat.)
Advanced Usage
  • "to have intestinal fortitude": to possess courage and resilience.

    • He has the intestinal fortitude to make difficult decisions. (He has the bravery needed for tough choices.)
  • "to lack intestinal fortitude": to be cowardly or easily discouraged.

    • The politician lacked intestinal fortitude and avoided taking a stand. (The politician was too timid to assert a position.)
Variants and Related Words
  • Fortitude (noun): courage in pain or adversity.

    • She endured the illness with great fortitude. (She faced suffering with bravery.)
  • Intestinal (adj): relating to the intestines; used here metaphorically to mean "deep-seated" or "visceral."

    • The decision required intestinal resolve. (The decision needed deep, gut-level determination.)
Synonyms
  • Guts: informal term for courage.

    • He has the guts to confront the bully. (He has the bravery to face the aggressor.)
  • Nerve: boldness or audacity.

    • It takes nerve to climb that mountain alone. (It requires boldness to attempt such a feat.)
  • Mettle: ability to cope with difficulties.

    • The soldier's mettle was tested in battle. (The soldier’s resilience was challenged.)
Related Idioms
  • Have the stomach for: to have the courage or inclination to do something unpleasant.

    • I don't have the stomach for horror movies. (I lack the nerve to watch frightening films.)
  • Gut feeling: an instinctive or intuitive sense.

    • My gut feeling told me not to trust him. (My deep intuition warned me against him.)