intestinal fortitude

intestinal fortitude
noun

the qualities we have discussed — common sense, intestinal fortitude, leadership … are not the only ones desirable in a second lieutenant — Infantry Journal

only a man of powerful will and intestinal fortitude could have done these things — Newsweek

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courage; resoluteness; endurance; guts: to have intestinal fortitude.
[1940-45]

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intestinal fortitude,

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inˌtestinal ˈfortitude 8 [intestinal fortitude] noun (NAmE, formal or humorous)
the courage and determination necessary to do sth difficult or unpleasant (used when you want to avoid using the word guts)

He did not have the intestinal fortitude to implement the changes.

It's rare to find a politician with the intestinal fortitude to take a controversial stance.


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • intestinal fortitude — ☆ intestinal fortitude n. courage and perseverance; grit; pluck: a euphemism for “guts” (see GUT, sense 7a) …   English World dictionary

  • intestinal fortitude — courage; resoluteness; endurance; guts: to have intestinal fortitude. [1940 45] * * * …   Universalium

  • intestinal fortitude — /ɪnˌtɛstənəl ˈfɔtətjud/ (say in.testuhnuhl fawtuhtyoohd) noun courage; stamina: *And the courage taken for granted was not merely a matter of what someone has called intestinal fortitude; it extended to the spirit, even to that of youngsters.… …  

  • intestinal fortitude — Synonyms and related words: backbone, bottom, chutzpah, decisiveness, endurance, energy, force, fortitude, grit, guts, gutsiness, guttiness, hardiness, heart, heart of oak, heartiness, lustihood, lustiness, mettle, might, mightiness, moxie, nerve …   Moby Thesaurus

  • intestinal fortitude — noun Etymology: euphemism for guts Date: circa 1937 courage, stamina …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • intestinal fortitude — noun guts (courage) …   Wiktionary

  • Intestinal fortitude — (jocular) strength of will; guts …   Dictionary of Australian slang

  • intestinal fortitude — Australian Slang (jocular) strength of will; guts …   English dialects glossary

  • intestinal fortitude — intes′tinal for′titude n. courage; resoluteness; endurance; guts …   From formal English to slang

  • fortitude — fortitude, grit, backbone, pluck, guts, sand denote a quality of character combining courage and staying power. Fortitude stresses strength of mind and firmness of purpose; it implies endurance, often prolonged endurance, of physical or mental… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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