What it means
Guts is courage, nerve, that inner bit that goes yeah, sod it, I'm doing it. If someone's got guts, they'll speak up, take the hit, or do the brave stupid thing while everyone else is chickening out. It also still means your actual insides, so you'll hear it in stuff about stomachs, blood, or feeling properly rough.
Usage examples
"It takes proper guts to heckle a comic at the Apollo till they roast you, then your mate’s howling and your stomach’s regretting that dodgy 2am kebab."
"It took real guts to stand up in front of the whole hall and admit the mistake was his."
"I didn't have the guts to send the food back, just pushed it round the plate and paid up."
"Fair play to her, it took guts to bin off the safe job and start her own little tattoo place."
"I had the guts to call him out in the group chat, then my actual guts started doing backflips straight after."
Got something to say?
Edit, fix or tell us something. We review it and, if it is true, you will see it applied with your name on it.
Where it comes from
Guts is an old English word. It goes back to Old English gutas, meaning the bowels or inner organs. The courage sense came later through metaphor, the idea that your brave bit lives deep inside you, not on the surface where people flap and wobble.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
Your vote counts
Is this real street talk or have we lost the plot? Cast your vote.
