Courage

Pronunciation accents without the w, English-language_vowel_changes_before_historic_/r/#Hurry.E2.80.93furry_merger, "Hurry-furry" merger accents with the

• UK IPA: /ˈkʌɹɪdÊ’/
• US IPA: /ˈkʌɹɪdÊ’/, IPA: /ˈkɝɪdÊ’/

Origin

From Old French corage (French: courage), from Latin cor ("heart"). Distantly related to cardiac ("of the heart"), which is from Greek, but from the same Proto-Indo-European root.

Full definition of courage

Noun

1. The quality of a confident character not to be afraid or intimidated easily but without being incautious or inconsiderate."A great part of courage is the courage of having done the thing before." —Ralph Waldo EmersonIt takes a lot of courage to be successful in business.
2. The ability to do things which one finds frightening."Courage is not the absence of fear. It is acting in spite of it." —Mark TwainHe plucked up the courage to tell her how he felt.

Synonyms

Derived terms

• courageous
• discourage
• encourage

Related terms

• cardiac

Verb

1. (obsolete) To encourage. 15th-17th c.
• 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte Darthur, Book XIX:‘I woll corrayge othir men of worshyp to do as I woll do.’
2. Paul writeth unto Timothy ... to courage him. — Tyndale.