mettle

[met-l]

noun

1. courage and fortitude.

   a man of mettle.

   Synonyms: fiber, nerve, ardor, vigor, pluck, valor

2. disposition or temperament.

   a man of fine mettle.

mettle

/ ˈmɛtəl /

noun

1. courage; spirit

2. inherent character

3. roused to putting forth one's best efforts

Word History and Origins

Origin of mettle¹

1575–85; spelling variant of metal, in metaphoric usages

Word History and Origins

Origin of mettle¹

C16: originally variant spelling of _metal

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. on one's mettle, in the position of being incited to do one's best.

   The loss of the first round put him on his mettle to win the match.

Example Sentences

I don’t see the big deal about the continuation of the USC-Notre Dame rivalry when the Trojans can annually test their mettle against such powerhouses as Missouri State and Georgia Southern!

From Los Angeles Times

What happens after the honeymoon will be the real test of Markle’s mettle.

From Salon

Nearly two decades ago, Nic Novicki was another young comedian living in Queens, testing his mettle in the competitive New York City comedy scene.

From Los Angeles Times

The reaction to their 27-19 loss to the Lions in Brisbane was unsparing and questioning of not just their mettle but the veritable future of the game in Australia.

From BBC

Showing the mettle that took her own and Ozzy’s career to great heights, Sharon recalls, “They were holding everything up. And I said, ‘Of course, of course, I’ll give it to you!”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bravery 
• caliber 
• courage 
• fortitude 
• grit 
• spunk 
• stamina 
• temperament