gutsy

play

adjective \ ˈgət-sē \

Definition of gutsy

gutsier; gutsiest

1 :marked by courage, pluck, or determination

a gutsy little fighter

a gutsy decision

2 a :expressing or characterized by basic physical senses or passions

gutsy macho talk

gutsy country blues

b :rough or plain in style :not bland or sophisticated

a gutsy soup

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gutsily

play \ˈgət-sə-lē\ adverb

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gutsiness

noun

See gutsy defined for English-language learners

See gutsy defined for kids

Examples of gutsy in a Sentence

That was a very gutsy decision.
a gutsy coach willing to let her team improvise on the court

Recent Examples of gutsy from the Web

Lots of PRs (personal records) and gutsy performances.

— dan brown, Ramona Sentinel, "Prep Cross Country: Eight Bulldogs medal at Vaquero Stampede," 29 Aug. 2017
Still, a slick play in the infield or a quick jump on the bases or a gutsy performance on the mound might convince scouts to pay attention and follow up on players otherwise off the big-league radars.

— ted berg, USA TODAY, "Cape Cod league serious business for MLB teams and prospects," 16 Aug. 2017
In a gutsy move last year, Sunseri and Corti took a few bottles of the two varietals to share with Greek vintners at a tasting of Santorini wines in San Francisco.

— mike dunne, sacbee, "Dunne on Wine: Greek grapes take root in Tehama County," 2 Aug. 2017
In Depth: 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Engine and Transmission Rating: The Giulia’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four makes 280 horsepower, sounds intoxicating, and feels gutsy when driven hard.

— drew dorian, Car and Driver, "2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia," 20 July 2017
This day would demonstrate how much a gutsy and compassionate surgeon at Beaumont Hospital, Kongkrit Chaiyasate, had been able to help McGrath overcome what seemed like the impossible: the loss of his human shield, the skin on his face.

— allie gross, Detroit Free Press, "Beaumont plastic surgeon takes cases others said couldn't be done," 15 July 2017
With her latest display of gutsy serving and big hitting, Williams beat Johanna Konta 6-4, 6-2 on Thursday to reach her ninth title match at the All England Club and first since 2009.

— howard fendrich, courant.com, "Venus Williams Reaches Ninth Wimbledon Final," 13 July 2017
The latter, a gutsy guy available only in the performance-minded Sport model, is the same engine employed in the Lincoln MKX and the Ford F-150 pickup.

— al haas, Philly.com, "Ford Edge is a spacious, drivable crossover," 23 June 2017
Expect a gutsy race as the temperatures reach triple digits.

— jacob sweet, sacbee.com, "Best bets to see records fall, stars rise at USA Track finals in Sacramento," 21 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gutsy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.