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 of courageous

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

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 courageous woman at the center of that series survived long enough to give a dying statement, in the hope that her testimony would set a precedent and make the world safer for others. — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

Fine publicly praised his wife following her testimony, describing her as strong and courageous in a statement read outside the courthouse by attorney Douglas Wigdor. — Sameen Chaudhry, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026

Why Jaissle and ‘vertical, attacking football’ If bringing in eight players under 24 was courageous, opting for a 38-year-old head coach who had never managed in Europe’s top-five leagues was extremely bold. — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Some of these guys were pretty courageous and bold and brave. — Mona Darwish, Oc Register, 5 Sep. 2026

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