courageous

adjective

kə-ˈrā-jəs How to pronounce courageous (audio)
Definition of courageousnext
as in brave
feeling or displaying no fear by temperament the courageous decision to quit rather than obey an illegal order

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of courageous The courageous woman at the center of that series survived long enough to give a dying statement, in the hope that her testimony would set a precedent and make the world safer for others. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026 Fine publicly praised his wife following her testimony, describing her as strong and courageous in a statement read outside the courthouse by attorney Douglas Wigdor. — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 Why Jaissle and ‘vertical, attacking football’ If bringing in eight players under 24 was courageous, opting for a 38-year-old head coach who had never managed in Europe’s top-five leagues was extremely bold. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 Some of these guys were pretty courageous and bold and brave. — Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for courageous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courageous
  1. brave
  2. fearless
  3. valiant
  4. heroic
  5. gallant
  6. bold
Adjective
  • There were a lot of brave guys who stayed to fight there — and people at home don't know what happened.
    — Jonah Kaplan, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Cagle added that the photo showed a confident, brilliant, brave, polite, gracious, kind and gentle young man.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of brave
Adjective
  • This caution is surprising in a writer who has elsewhere been fearless about identity and America, attentive to the country’s institutional capacity to humiliate, compromise, and implicate the people who claim it.
    — Zain Khalid, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The fearless action and yachting photographer has spent 40 years capturing iconic images while dangling from the top of a 200-foot mast or diving beneath the keel of a racing boat.
    — Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of fearless
Adjective
  • The Florida Panthers were able to mount a valiant comeback in San Jose, rallying from three goals down in the second period and scoring two in the third before ultimately falling in overtime.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Despite a valiant effort on the water, that milestone failed to normalize a more ever-present female presence at the Cup for almost three decades.
    — Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of valiant
Adjective
  • And the Liberty needed one more heroic moment in overtime while down one.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • At the heart of Fee’s heroic narratives is the idea of a self that attains purity.
    — Garth Greenwell, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of heroic
Adjective
  • Susanna Moore is terribly important to us, more so than any of Hemingway’s gallant girls.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • First to one knee and then all the way up like a gallant fighter gathering himself.
    — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of gallant
Adjective
  • Both Vitale and Blazy have used bold prints, colors and textures on more classic silhouettes, like the jean, the court shoe or the Mary Jane, to create highly recognizable — yet wearable — clothes and shoes.
    — Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 8 Oct. 2026
  • But when hurricanes tear through Southeastern towns, the hot meals and bold yellow signs of the local Waffle House provide another kind of comfort.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of bold

Browse Nearby Words

courage
courageous
courageously
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Cite this Entry

“Courageous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courageous. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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