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.

My mettle turned out to have a serviceable life of approximately 45 minutes. —

Caity Weaver, New York Times, 25 Jan. 2025 As the sun set, young cowboys proved their mettle by riding half-wild broncos, the muscles of both man and beast straining to prevail. —

Caleb Gayle, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024 Jackson and Allen have been circling around each other all season; in the MVP race, in the playoff hunt, in wider debates about rivalry, quarterbacking flair and big-game mettle. —

Oskar Garcia, The Athletic, 18 Jan. 2025 The Commanders, in fact, are appearing in Saturday's matchup in large part because of their mettle on do-or-die downs. —

Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for mettle