fortitude
Americannoun
noun
Usage
What is fortitude? Fortitude is mental or emotional strength in facing something difficult, as in Lillie stayed sane on the deserted island thanks to her intense mental fortitude.Fortitude refers to mental or emotional strength rather than physical or bodily strength, as in During the pandemic, Kasha wrote poetry to maintain her mental fortitude. But you can use words like strength, power, and intensity as synonyms for fortitude if you are talking specifically about mental or emotional strength.The adjective form of fortitude is fortitudinous, as in The fortitudinous soldiers never even considered retreating.Example: You could never tell June was suffering from illness due to her amazing fortitude.
Related Words
See patience.
Other Word Forms
- fortitudinous adjective
Etymology
Origin of fortitude
First recorded 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin fortitūdō “strength, firmness, courage,” equivalent to forti(s) “strong” + -tūdō noun suffix ( -tude )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She needed that mental fortitude in the build-up to the Games as a series of injuries - including a hip issue in October - hampered her preparations.
From BBC
Again, Townsend has gone with form and fortitude.
From BBC
Mental fortitude has been a problem for Scotland, but not for Glasgow.
From BBC
"As long as it is the right thing that serves the fundamental interests of the country and the people, then as leaders we should not shy away from difficulties and we should press ahead fortitude."
From BBC
She’s like, “Oh, I have the mental fortitude to withstand this temporary blow.”
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
