GUTS Synonyms: 113 Similar and Opposite Words

guts 1 of 2

noun

plural of gut

as in inside(s)

the internal organs of the body the student dissected the frog and looked at its guts with a mixture of fascination and disgust

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in courage

strength of mind to carry on in spite of danger it took a lot of guts to rush into that burning building and save her cat

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in grit

the strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship had the guts to keep running the race even though she felt like quitting

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

guts

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of gut

as in cleans

to take the internal organs out of you'll need to gut the fish and wash it out before you can cook it

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 guts

Noun

Marcus, however, showed a lot of grit and guts for a lad who was not expected to triumph. — Lars Brandle, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026 Two crazy ass years have gone by (fast af) and my travels have left me, at 28, with a little more wisdom, more guts and ALOT more shoes! — Walden Green, Pitchfork, 12 Oct. 2026 Anybody who had guts back then to do something different was punk. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 7 Oct. 2026 In other words, something changed, but the study can’t tell us whether those changes actually made participants’ guts healthier. — Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 6 Oct. 2026 Did anyone involved have the guts to tell him that this was a bad idea? — Manohla Dargis, New York Times, 1 Oct. 2026 In their new Apple series, Brothers, that infamous tale appears in the pilot when Holland Taylor, playing Ma Mac, drops the bomb on Harrelson, who doesn’t have the guts to tell McConaughey right away. — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026 McNeely’s riff shows a toe (flexed, as ever) hoisted from the ceiling, the rest of the figure an illegible mass of guts and bones. — Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 18 Sep. 2026 The decision, in the words of Giants manager Tony Vitello, took guts. — Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

Such incidental takings are the most common way that endangered animals die, the NYT reported, so advocates fear the move largely guts the ESA. — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026 When the Supreme Court guts federal voting protections, every state has to decide whether to fill that void or exploit it. — Anthony G. Brown, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2026 What most of us know is a relationship that goes sour, and the one that guts you the most is a love that goes wrong. — Stuart Miller, Oc Register, 7 May 2026 The only realistic threat to Clyburn’s winning reelection would be if the conservative Supreme Court guts the Voting Rights Act and South Carolina Republicans redraw the state’s congressional districts before the fall elections. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 12 Mar. 2026 And if the Supreme Court makes an early enough ruling that guts the Voting Rights Act, that could allow a slew of Southern states to redraw their maps before 2026 as well. — Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 3 Dec. 2025 The government’s lawyers argued the ruling effectively guts a statute aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing unlawful drug users from wielding firearms. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025 Her death guts Maggie, but also brings her and Jackson, her mother’s surgeon, closer. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2025 Seagulls circle low as Kyan Walker bones and guts the daily catch, which currently includes black cod and halibut. — John King, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Sep. 2023

Recent Examples of Synonyms for guts

Noun

The future will not be shaped only by the power of our technology or our weapons, but by the quality of our conversations—and the courage of the choices that follow.

— Halla Tómasdóttir, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
But, beyond the wall-to-wall coverage and sensational headlines, is a story about the incredible courage, devotion, and strength that Natalee’s mother, Beth, showed in the face of unimaginable loss.

— Peter White, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of courage

Noun

And the protesters’ grit, wit, inventiveness, and fearlessness have dented Modi’s authority like nothing else has in the past 12 years.

— Pratap Bhanu Mehta, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2026
Marcus, however, showed a lot of grit and guts for a lad who was not expected to triumph.

— Lars Brandle, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of grit

Verb

That same dock features Vortex Wash, which automatically cleans the robot’s dirty wiping pads in about a minute.

— Matthew Huff, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
And still, that is just unplugging as tourism, not unlike visiting a spa with a raw-vegan menu and daily yoga classes or attending a writers retreat that brings you breakfast in a basket every morning and someone who cleans your room.

— Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of cleans

Noun

The King kids were quiet and poised, letting the camera inspect their faces, putting on a show of mild bravery for the nice reporter and all the people out there watching at home.

— Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
The Biden administration, in an act of incredible bravery, doubled the sanctions on the way out, in January of 2025.

— NBC news, NBC news, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of bravery

Noun

But more importantly — and what comes with age — is having the fortitude not to follow them.

— Judith Martin, Sun Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
That mental fortitude stood out to Green during a minor-league game in which Voit started 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of fortitude

Noun

The nomination recognizes a specific act of heroism or service, rather than participation in a large-scale disaster response.

— Julie Sharp, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Haloed in distorted guitar and jagged synths, Wolf comes off as a champion of her own avoidance, her heroism charmingly pathetic.

— Enzo Escober, Pitchfork, 9 Oct. 2026