Mettle meaning

mĕt'l
The ability to meet a challenge or persevere under demanding circumstances; determination or resolve.

A race that tested the best runners' mettle.

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Mettle is defined as a high quality of personal character.

An example of mettle is a soldier's bravery.

An example of mettle is a person who has spirit and courage.

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Quality of character or temperament; esp., high quality of character; spirit; courage; ardor.
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Origin of mettle

Originally a variant of metal.

Sentence Examples

  • Lana didn't have the mettle to survive the way he knew how.

  • He suspected it was because the same mettle lining Dusty's backbone lined hers.

  • Determined that in this first battle against a white nation they would show their mettle, the Japanese lavished both time and forethought on the minutest preparations.

  • A month of harassing skirmishes ensued, during which the Egyptian troops showed their mettle at Mograka, where 200 of them held the fort against a superior number of dervishes, and in combats at Ambigol, Kosha and Firket.

  • Her whimsical and adventuresome spirit puts her so much on her mettle that she makes rather a poor subject for the psychological experimenter.

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Words near mettle in the Dictionary