mettle

UK: /ˈmɛt^əl/ US: /ˈmɛtəl/ ,(met′l)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

met•tle /ˈmɛtəl/   n. [uncountable]

1. courage or willingness to do a task:
   a man of mettle.
2. disposition or temperament:
   of fine mettle.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

met•tle  (met′l), n. 

1. courage and fortitude:
   a man of mettle.
2. disposition or temperament:
   a man of fine mettle.
3. Idioms on one's mettle, in the position of being incited to do one's best
   The loss of the first round put him on his mettle to win the match.

• spelling, spelled variant of metal, in metaphoric usages 1575–85

Synonyms

• 1. . valor, pluck, vigor, ardor, nerve, fiber.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

mettle / ˈmɛt^əl/ noun

1. courage; spirit
2. inherent character
3. on one's mettle ⇒ roused to putting forth one's best efforts

Etymology: 16th Century: originally variant spelling of metal