gumption
Americannoun
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initiative; aggressiveness; resourcefulness.
With his gumption he'll make a success of himself.
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courage; spunk; guts.
It takes gumption to quit a high-paying job.
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Chiefly British Dialect. common sense; shrewdness.
noun
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common sense or resourcefulness
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initiative or courage
you haven't the gumption to try
Other Word Forms
- gumptionless adjective
- gumptious adjective
Etymology
Origin of gumption
1710–20; originally Scots
Explanation
If you have gumption, you have guts. People with gumption are determined and full of courage — and common sense, too. If you easily give up, and don't have a lot of confidence or smarts, then you are lacking in gumption. It takes gumption to get things done — especially difficult things. Someone who takes risks without being afraid has gumption. Having gumption is like having "chutzpah." We all could probably use more gumption. Like common sense, it isn't that common.
Vocabulary lists containing gumption
Beowulf
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Their Eyes Were Watching God
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The Glass Castle
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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.
That takes creativity, intelligence and gumption, and I’m sure your grandfather has those in spades.
From MarketWatch • Feb. 24, 2026
With a few tools and a little gumption, anyone could learn to maintain and repair the machinery of daily life.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025
Jamie Greene appeared at Murdo Fraser's campaign launch, telling the audience he was the only candidate with the "gumption" to turn things around for the party.
From BBC • Aug. 22, 2024
Lee however remained undeterred by her illness and summoned the gumption and self-confidence to return to the mat after a brief hiatus, brushing aside the narrowly construed frameworks of athleticism.
From Salon • Aug. 10, 2024
But she slumped wherever I put her, with no gumption in her at all.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
