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Glite Dictionary
to take courage in both hands

to take courage in both hands

7.9
To make yourself brave enough to do something difficult
  • idiom
translation icon : tomar valor
  • She took courage in both hands and told her family the truth.

Examples

  • He took courage in both hands before stepping onto the stage for the first time.

  • After hesitating, she finally took courage in both hands and applied for the job.

  • Just take courage in both hands!

  • She takes courage in both hands every time she performs.

  • After hesitating, she finally took courage in both hands and applied for the job.

  • He took courage in both hands before stepping onto the stage for the first time.

  • She took courage in both hands and told her family the truth.

Synonyms

to dare
vsto take courage in both hands
516 1.1

To be brave enough to do something risky or not allowed

highlights the prior deliberate gathering of resolve, not just the bold act
to have the nerve
vsto take courage in both hands
  • Informal
68 6.2

To be brave enough to do something bold or rude

emphasizes gathering oneself deliberately rather than simply already possessing boldness
to find it in one's heart
vsto take courage in both hands
14 7.7

To be able to do something difficult because you feel kind or brave

focuses specifically on deliberately summoning inner strength rather than compassion
to grow a pair
vsto take courage in both hands
  • Offensive
8 9.9

To become braver and more confident in difficult situations

implies a single deliberate act of gathering all personal resolve before acting
to take the bull by the horns
vsto take courage in both hands
  • Informal
4 5.6

To deal with a difficult problem directly and bravely

focuses more on preparing oneself deliberately than on the bold confrontation itself
to grab the bull by the horns
vsto take courage in both hands
  • Informal
1 6.3

Face a difficult problem directly and bravely

is about the deliberate internal gathering of resolve before taking that action
to muscle up
vsto take courage in both hands
  • Informal
8.1

Gather the courage to face a hard task

is about deliberately gathering all inner resolve before taking action
to strap on a pair
vsto take courage in both hands
  • Slang
9.9

To be brave enough to do something difficult

expresses the same deliberate summoning but in neutral, non slang language
to have a pair
vsto take courage in both hands
  • UK
9.9

To be brave enough to do something difficult or risky

stresses actively summoning all one’s resolve before facing the situation
to take the challenge head-on
vsto take courage in both hands
  • Informal
3.9

To face a difficult problem directly and work hard to solve it

highlights first collecting one’s full inner resolve, not only direct handling

Antonyms

to flee
331 2.4

To run away from a place because it is dangerous

to shrink back
  • Informal
1 4.7

Move away because you are afraid or disgusted

How Courageous

to take courage in both hands
7.9
to muster up
10 5.1

Surface Forms

take courage in both hands infinitive
taking courage in both hands present participle
takes courage in both hands third person singular
took courage in both hands past
taken courage in both hands past participle

Morphology

take + courage + in + both + hands

The phrase uses a simple physical metaphor — 'take' + 'courage' + 'in both hands' — so the idea of deliberately gathering or holding one’s bravery is directly inferable from the constituents. This compositional image is common across languages (e.g. French 'prendre son courage à deux mains') and follows transparent logic, so a B1 learner who knows the words would likely understand the meaning.

Etymology

Take courage in both hands paints a simple picture of someone picking up and holding courage in both hands like a small, steady object. So, it means 'to make yourself brave' before doing something difficult.