courageous

adjective

cou·​ra·​geous kə-ˈrā-jəs 

: having or characterized by courage : brave

a courageous soldier

a courageous decision

courageously adverb

courageousness noun

Synonyms

• bold
• brave
• dauntless
• doughty
• fearless
• gallant
• greathearted
• gutsy
• gutty
• heroic
• heroical
• intrepid
• lionhearted
• manful
• stalwart
• stout
• stouthearted
• undauntable
• undaunted
• valiant
• valorous

Examples of courageous in a Sentence

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

The doc observes students shaping and driving courageous forms of conversation among themselves and with their institutions. —Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025

John Lewis John Lewis, born in 1940 in Troy, Alabama, was a son of sharecroppers who became one of the most courageous and enduring voices of the Civil Rights Movement. —Sughnen Yongo, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025

The challenge for business leaders is to get better at recognizing these unsung contributors—and more courageous in promoting them. —Martin Gutmann, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025

Those are the types of questions courageous politicians should be embracing. —Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

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