mettle

noun

met·tle ˈme-tᵊl

Synonyms of mettle next

: vigor and strength of spirit or temperament (see temperament sense 1a)

a girl of … mettle who lost a baby brother to leukemia—

Bill Zehme

: staying quality : stamina

equipment that proved its mettle

proved his mettle in battle

: quality of temperament or disposition

gentlemen of brave mettle—

William Shakespeare

mettled

ˈme-tᵊld

adjective

Phrases

on one's mettle

: aroused to do one's best

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Is mettle Connected to Metal?

Originally, mettle was simply a variant spelling of the word metal (which dates to at least the 13th century), and it was used in all of the same senses as its metallic relative. Over time, however, mettle came to be used mainly in figurative senses referring to the quality of someone's character. It eventually became a distinct English word in its own right, losing its literal sense altogether. Metal remained a term primarily used for those hard, shiny substances such as steel or iron, but it also acquired a figurative use. Today, both words can mean "vigor and strength of spirit or temperament," but only metal is used of metallic substances.

Choose the Right Synonym for mettle

courage, mettle, spirit, resolution, tenacity mean mental or moral strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship.

courage implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty.

the courage to support unpopular causes

mettle suggests an ingrained capacity for meeting strain or difficulty with fortitude and resilience.

a challenge that will test your mettle

spirit also suggests a quality of temperament enabling one to hold one's own or keep up one's morale when opposed or threatened.

her spirit was unbroken by failure

resolution stresses firm determination to achieve one's ends.

the resolution of pioneer women

tenacity adds to resolution implications of stubborn persistence and unwillingness to admit defeat.

held to their beliefs with great tenacity

Examples of mettle in a Sentence

The competition will test her mettle.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Miami has had high-profile opportunities to prove its mettle before, but squandered nearly all of them. —

Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2024 The warrants also provide an opportunity for Israel’s judicial system to prove its mettle: The ICC has declared that if Israel chooses to prosecute the allegations in its national court system, the warrants will be dropped. —

Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 27 Nov. 2024 After a tug-of-war in the first half, No. 8 Miami (4-0) pulled away in the second half and notched a 50-15 win over upstart USF (2-2), which has proven its mettle in closely fought games against both UM and Alabama. —

Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 22 Sep. 2024 But as with all slashers worth their mettle, Richard rises from his watery grave (baby Jason Voorhees style) and tries to pounce on Iris, who grabs the gun and fires several shots. —

Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 29 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mettle