mettle

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: met=tle

CIDE DICTIONARY

mettle, n. [E. metal, used in a tropical sense in allusion to the temper of the metal of a sword blade. See Metal.].

 Substance or quality of temperament; spirit, esp. as regards honor, courage, fortitude, ardor, etc.; disposition; -- usually in a good sense; as, to test a person's mettle.  [1913 Webster]
"A certain critical hour which shall . . . try what mettle his heart is made of."  [1913 Webster]
"Gentlemen of brave mettle."  [1913 Webster]
"The winged courser, like a generous horse,
Shows most true mettle when you check his course."  [1913 Webster]

To put one one's mettle, to cause or incite one to use one's best efforts.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

mettle, n.
1 the quality of a person's disposition or temperament (a chance to show your mettle).
2 natural ardour.
3 spirit, courage.

Idiom

on one's mettle incited to do one's best.

Derivative

mettled adj. (also in comb.). mettlesome adj.

Etymology

var. of METAL n.

THESAURUS

mettle

activity, animation, animus, aptitude, ardor, backbone, bent, bias, bottom, brio, briskness, cast, character, chutzpah, constitution, courage, dauntlessness, diathesis, disposition, eccentricity, elan, enthusiasm, gameness, glow, grain, grit, gusto, guts, gutsiness, guttiness, heart, heart of oak, idiosyncrasy, impetuosity, impetus, inclination, individualism, intestinal fortitude, joie de vivre, kidney, leaning, life, liveliness, lustiness, make, makeup, mental set, mettlesomeness, mind, mind-set, mold, moxie, nature, nerve, perkiness, pertness, pith, pluck, pluckiness, predilection, predisposition, preference, proclivity, propensity, resolution, robustness, set, slant, spirit, spiritedness, spunk, spunkiness, stamina, stamp, stout heart, strain, streak, stripe, temper, temperament, tendency, toughness, true grit, turn, turn of mind, twist, type, vivacity, warmth, warp, zest, zestfulness

ROGET THESAURUS

mettle

Affections

N affections, affect, character, qualities, disposition, nature, spirit, tone, temper, temperament, diathesis, idiosyncrasy, cast of mind, cast of soul, habit of mind, habit of soul, frame of mind, frame of soul, predilection, turn, natural turn of mind, bent, bias, predisposition, proneness, proclivity, propensity, propenseness, propension, propendency, vein, humor, mood, grain, mettle, sympathy, soul, heart, breast, bosom, inner man, heart's core, heart's strings, heart's blood, heart of hearts, bottom of one's heart, penetralia mentis, secret and inmost recesses of the heart, cockles of one's heart, inmost heart, inmost soul, backbone, passion, pervading spirit, ruling passion, master passion, furore, fullness of the heart, heyday of the blood, flesh and blood, flow of soul, energy, fervor, fire, force, affected, characterized, formed, molded, cast, attempered, tempered, framed, predisposed, prone, inclined, having a bias, tinctured with, imbued with, penetrated with, eaten up with, inborn, inbred, ingrained, deep-rooted, ineffaceable, inveterate, pathoscopic, congenital, dyed in the wool, implanted by nature, inherent, in the grain, affective, in one's heart, at heart, heart and soul, affection is a coal that must be cool'd else suffe.

Courage

N courage, bravery, valor, resoluteness, boldness, spirit, daring, gallantry, intrepidity, contempt of danger, defiance of danger, derring-do, audacity, rashness, dash, defiance, confidence, self-reliance, manliness, manhood, nerve, pluck, mettle, game, heart, heart of grace, spunk, guts, face, virtue, hardihood, fortitude, intestinal fortitude, firmness, heart of oak, bottom, backbone, spine, resolution, bulldog courage, prowess, heroism, chivalry, exploit, feat, achievement, heroic deed, heroic act, bold stroke, man, man of mettle, hero, demigod, Amazon, Hector, lion, tiger, panther, bulldog, gamecock, fighting-cock, bully, fire eater, courageous, brave, valiant, valorous, gallant, intrepid, spirited, spiritful, high-spirited, high-mettled, mettlesome, plucky, manly, manful, resolute, stout, stout-hearted, iron-hearted, lion-hearted, heart of oak, Penthesilean, bold, bold-spirited, daring, audacious, fearless, dauntless, dreadless, aweless, undaunted, unappalled, undismayed, unawed, unblanched, unabashed, unalarmed, unflinching, unshrinking, unblanching, unapprehensive, confident, self-reliant, bold as a lion, bold as brass, enterprising, adventurous, venturous, venturesome, dashing, chivalrous, soldierly, heroic, fierce, savage, pugnacious, strong-minded, hardy, doughty, firm, determined, dogged, indomitable, up to, up to the scratch, upon one's mettle, reassured, unfeared, undreaded, one's blood being up, courage sans peur, fortes fortuna adjuvat, have I not in my time heard lions roar, I dare do all that may become a man, male vincetis sed vincite, omne solum forti patria, self-trust is the essence of heroism, stimulos dedit oemula virtus, strong and great, a hero, teloque animus proestantior omni, there, is always safety in valor, virtus ariete fortier.