Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. Informal Boldness of enterprise; initiative or aggressiveness.
- n. Informal Guts; spunk.
- n. Informal Common sense.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. Acuteness of the practical understanding; clear, practical common sense; quick perception of the right thing to do under unusual circumstances.
Wiktionary
- n. Energy of mind and body, enthusiasm.
- n. Boldness of enterprise; initiative or aggressiveness, guts; spunk; initiative.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. Capacity; shrewdness; common sense.
- n. The art of preparing colors.
- n. Megilp.
- n. initiative; resourcefulness.
- n. Courage; guts.
WordNet 3.0
- n. sound practical judgment
- n. fortitude and determination
Etymologies
- Scots.
Examples
“But they hadn't what we call gumption, they put all their capital into one line of business, and you may be sure they swamped the market.”
“And gumption is always welcome (whereas the timorousness of anonymity will be quashed -- c.f. the A-Z of the blog I can't be bothered linking to at the moment).”
“It's been a long time since I've seen a vice presidential nominee with so muchwhat's the word gumption!”
“I've been quiet for a while, going through a number of struggles that have left me without the - in the vernacular of my childhood, the 'gumption' - to keep writing frequently.”
“It just takes some gumption, which is evident in some agencies, if not in others.”
The Huffington Post: Art Brodsky: The FCC's Dangerous 'Let's Make A Deal'
“They talk about gumption and there is even a song called gumption from that movie!”
“While he talks a good game about the businesses he's "built or turned around," his entrepreneurial gumption, which is real, has failed to produce an equal degree of entrepreneurial success.”
“It's hard-wired to operate with typical Beltway gumption, which is why it's failing miserably.”
“This is called gumption: He is the Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee.”
“GOD BLESS the "ol 'man" may we ALL have the "gumption" to still be going at that age!”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘gumption’.
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English words of Scots origin
If it's not ...
blackmail, blatant, caddie, caddy, clan, convene, cosy, firth, glamour, gloaming, golf, glengarry and 15 more...
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Words for Haikus
Getting the Perfect Word for 5-7-5.
inevitable, serendipity, marvellous, expectations, aspirations, peculiar, zephyr, hubris, surreptitious, pennyroyal, quizzical, kaleidoscope and 19 more...
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I am : brave
brave, bold, courageous, audacious, doughty, chivalrous, gallant, gutsy, gumption, plucky, spunky, nerve and 12 more...
brtom Wonder how he had the gumption to propose to any girl.
Joyce, Ulysses, 6 Dec 31, 2006