intestinal fortitude
3
8.3
- noun
- /ɪnˈtɛstɪnəl ˈfɔrtɪtud/
- Informal
:
fortaleza intestinal
- Our elected (not appointed) officials need to show some intestinal fortitude and prosecute the responsible parties.
- a lot of intestinal fortitude
And by the grace of God and their courage and their intestinal fortitude, they survived.
- And by the grace of God and their courage and their intestinal fortitude, they survived.
- But I will tell you this, that when, when there is intestinal fortitude in Washington, it resonates in Mexico.
- And, you know, having the intestinal fortitude to have that conversation and make it happen is something that most people don't have in them.
- Do you have the intestinal fortitude to be in perfect you?
Examples
-
I sometimes feel I don't have the intestinal fortitude for this job.
-
John Boehner once again demonstrates that he does not have either the intestinal fortitude or the moral authority to be the majority leader in the House of Representatives.
Blog text (34) -
However, those in Congress who are in charge of such things have no intestinal fortitude to start something like that.
Blog text (34) -
Life then required intestinal fortitude.
Blog text (25) -
And by the grace of God and their courage and their intestinal fortitude, they survived.
-
And, you know, having the intestinal fortitude to have that conversation and make it happen is something that most people don't have in them.
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Florida has heart, persistence, diligence, drive, intestinal fortitude, and will.
Blog text (32) -
All the props to women who have the intestinal fortitude to go forth and embrace motherhood.
Blog text (28) -
Save the Constitution—required all the intestinal fortitude we could muster.
Blog text (20) -
You need a lot of intestinal fortitude to overcome your fears and pursue your dreams.
Synonyms
32
6.7
Courage and inner strength when facing pain or trouble
1
9.9
Brave behavior when facing danger or difficulty
1
7.0
Bravery and determination when facing danger or risk
1
9.8
Bravery that someone shows when they face a difficult or dangerous situation
1
6.0
Being very brave and determined when facing problems
Brave and determined actions in hard times
Antonyms
How Brave
Surface Forms
Morphology
intestinal + fortitude
The components 'intestinal' (relating to the gut) and 'fortitude' (mental strength) combine to give a metaphorical sense of 'gut courage', so there is a visible semantic link but via figurative mapping. This metaphorical and somewhat formal/less-common wording means a B1 learner who knows the parts may suspect a connection but would not reliably derive the exact meaning without prior exposure, so it is not fully transparent.
Etymology
Intestinal fortitude uses a clear image: intestinal refers to the 'guts' inside you and fortitude means strength. So it compares having strong guts to being brave, which is why it means 'courage and determination'.