courageous

1 of 2

adjective

cou·​ra·​geous kə-ˈrā-jəs 

: having or characterized by courage : brave

a courageous soldier

a courageous decision

courageously adverb

courageousness noun

courageousness

2 of 2

noun

cou·​ra·​geous·​ness

kə-ˈrā-jəs-nəs

plural -es

: the quality or state of being courageous

Synonyms of courageous

Adjective

• brave
• fearless
• valiant
• heroic
• gallant
• bold

Examples of courageous in a Sentence

Adjective

She was a courageous woman who wasn't afraid to support unpopular causes.

the courageous decision to quit rather than obey an illegal order

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The hard parts of leadership—building trust, navigating tension and having courageous conversations—still belong to humans. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Confidence can be born of experience, but also from being courageous. — Carl Anka, New York Times, 25 July 2026

Holding them together is their courageous mother, Olga, who keeps them looking ahead, even when their future is uncertain. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 July 2026

Some of them have chosen to stay quiet for understandable reasons, but others have made courageous efforts over the course of many years to tell these stories. — CBS News, 12 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English corageous, borrowed from Anglo-French corajus, from corage courage + -us, -ous -ous

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for courageous

• advantageous
• contagious
• outrageous
• disadvantageous

Kids Definition

courageous

adjective

cou·​ra·​geous kə-ˈrā-jəs 

: having or marked by courage : brave

courageously adverb

courageousness noun