METTLESOME Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

mettlesome

adjective

ˈme-tᵊl-səm

Definition of mettlesome

as in energetic

having much high-spirited energy and movement the mettlesome opening dance number got the audience all jazzed up

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in spirited

marked by a lively display of strong feeling a mettlesome debate on the teaching of evolution in the schools

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 mettlesome He may have been provoked into battle by the ruler of Cebu, who was using Magellan’s troops to rid himself of a mettlesome chieftain known to raid the trade ships that navigated the waters in and around the islands. — Tim Carman, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2022

Recent Examples of Synonyms for mettlesome

Adjective

By studying what happens when these energetic particles collide with target materials, scientists can investigate the shapes and sizes of atomic nuclei.

— Andrea Richard, The Conversation, 2 Oct. 2026
About 35 times more energetic than any neutrino seen before, it was picked up by the under-construction Cubic Kilometer Neutrino Telescope (KM3NeT) detector off the coast of Sicily.

— Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of energetic

Adjective

If the measure passes, expect a highly spirited game of hide-the-loot.

— Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Amid the Bengals’ spirited last-minute rally, Jaguars cornerback Rayuan Lane III came up with the game-sealing tackle of Brown on fourth-and-10 at the Jacksonville 12.

— Zak Keefer, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of spirited

Adjective

Ramsey is one of TV’s hottest actors right now, with previous roles including the fiery Lyanna Mormont in Game of Thrones, survivalist Ellie in The Last of Us and drug addict Kelsey in Time.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 8 Oct. 2026
The operation has not been publicly announced, but was met with fiery reaction from Newsom.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of fiery

Adjective

Echenoz sketches a lively and personal view of the bonds and minor psychoses that can occur when two people work in tandem, and sometimes in conflict.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026
This three-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath house sat just off lively Main Street in Beacon, a town of about 15,000 people on the Hudson River.

— Gabe Castro-Root, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of lively

Adjective

To imagine the natural world not as a passive resource but as an animate collaborator would be to reorder more than aesthetic categories, demanding another relation to our environment.

— Tara Anne Dalbow, ARTnews.com, 29 May 2026
Zugunruhe is the itinerant desire of any animate being to keep moving and growing.

— Big Think, Big Think, 6 May 2026

Definition of animate

Adjective

But adding just five more minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, every day could prevent up to 10% of premature deaths, according to a large observational study.

— Ann Pietrangelo, Verywell Health, 29 Sep. 2026
Fall’s brisk weather brings with it the promise of cozy knitwear, cashmere socks, and roaring fires—perhaps the only downside is that the grey skies exacerbate the our considerable vitamin D deficiency.

— Violet Hayward, Vogue, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of brisk

Browse Nearby Words

mettle

mettlesome

mew

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Mettlesome.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mettlesome. Accessed 11 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of mettlesome

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

galore

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes