doughty

adjective

ˈdau̇-tē How to pronounce doughty (audio)
Definition of doughtynext
as in valiant
feeling or displaying no fear by temperament the doughty heroes of old

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of doughty That said, the impossibility of knowing how to get rid of these immense beings, and the DIY nature of the operations its doughty characters come up with, is one of the great sources of satisfaction these movies offer. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 30 Sep. 2026 The campaign also exposed the vacuum in our political press corps, which tried valiantly to prop up the Florida governor as a doughty maverick who shouldn’t be underestimated. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 22 Jan. 2024 In the meantime, Ramaswamy managed to combine the MAGA-style purge of the federal workforce with the doughty libertarian ideal of subjecting the power of the federal government to a thorough evisceration. — Ben Jacobs, The New Republic, 13 Sep. 2023 See All Example Sentences for doughty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for doughty
  1. valiant
  2. brave
  3. heroic
  4. courageous
  5. gallant
  6. fearless
Adjective
  • The Florida Panthers were able to mount a valiant comeback in San Jose, rallying from three goals down in the second period and scoring two in the third before ultimately falling in overtime.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Despite a valiant effort on the water, that milestone failed to normalize a more ever-present female presence at the Cup for almost three decades.
    — Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of valiant
Adjective
  • The outlet suggested Lively and Reynolds were putting on a brave face for the cameras but struggling behind-the-scenes.
    — Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In some seaside towns, brave locals take part in a Boxing Day dip—sprinting into the freezing sea to shake off the Christmas excesses, often while raising money for charity.
    — Olivia Morelli, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of brave
Adjective
  • Chronister identified the security guard as John Fraley and described his actions as heroic.
    — Dan Sullivan, The Orlando Sentinel, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Warm lyrical melodies glide across orchestration dappled with glistening chimes, or on engines of snare drums and heroic brass.
    — Tim Greiving, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2026
Definition of heroic
Adjective
  • On Thursday, Newsom took what can only be described as a courageous stand, a risky stand — commuting the death sentences of the 548 men and women condemned to die in California, and instead seeking to change their sentences to life without parole.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Research by Harvard Business School Professor Ranjay Gulati found that courageous and effective leaders create positive narratives that guide them through chaos, often recasting their work as a mission.
    — Olivia Ludington, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of courageous
Adjective
  • Susanna Moore is terribly important to us, more so than any of Hemingway’s gallant girls.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
  • First to one knee and then all the way up like a gallant fighter gathering himself.
    — Mike Lupica, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of gallant
Adjective
  • Our responsibility isn’t to make people fearless, but to create enough understanding, agency and trust that fear doesn’t prevent them from moving forward.
    — Irene Thong, Forbes.com, 5 Nov. 2026
  • When Mevis struggled this season, the Rams replaced him with the slight but fearless Blake Grupe, who made a field goal against Arizona then, on the ensuing kickoff, suffered a season-ending knee injury trying to make a tackle.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of fearless

Browse Nearby Words

doughtiness
doughty
doughy
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Doughty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/doughty. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of cockamamie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All