25 English Idioms Related to Courage

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Have you ever felt an adrenaline rush pushing you to act bravely in a challenging situation? Or perhaps experienced a lump in your throat, yet managed to speak up when it mattered? Courage, as they say, is not the absence of fear but the triumph over it. But how do we express these moments of bravery in English? Ready to take a bold step into the vibrant world of idioms?

Great! Allow me to introduce 25 popular English idioms that encapsulate different facets of courage. Understanding these idioms will not only enrich your vocabulary but also help you express nuances of bravery in everyday conversations:

1. Bite the bullet: To endure a painful or difficult situation.
Example: He decided to bite the bullet and start the project.

2. Face the music: To confront the consequences of one’s actions.
Example: After failing his exams, he had to face the music and tell his parents.

3. Take the bull by the horns: To confront a problem directly.
Example: She decided to take the bull by the horns and address the issue in the team meeting.

4. Throw down the gauntlet: To challenge or confront someone.
Example: The rival team threw down the gauntlet by mocking our strategies.

5. Stick to one’s guns: To maintain one’s position or opinion despite opposition.
Example: Despite his colleagues’ disagreement, he stuck to his guns on the project’s direction.

6. Step up to the plate: To take on a responsibility or challenge.
Example: When the manager fell sick, she stepped up to the plate and led the team.

7. Sink or swim: To either succeed by one’s own efforts or fail completely.
Example: It was a sink or swim situation when she started her own business.

8. Against all odds: Despite many difficulties.
Example: Against all odds, the underdog team won the championship.

9. Come hell or high water: No matter what difficulties may occur.
Example: She was determined to finish the race, come hell or high water.

10. Take the plunge: To commit oneself to a course of action that is momentous or challenging.
Example: After years of hesitation, he finally took the plunge and moved abroad.

11. Go against the grain: To behave or proceed in a manner contrary to what is generally understood, accepted, or customary.
Example: She chose to go against the grain and reject the traditional career path.

12. Roll with the punches: To adapt to hardships or adversity.
Example: Despite the setbacks, he learned to roll with the punches and carry on.

13. Pull oneself up by one’s bootstraps: To improve one’s situation by one’s own efforts.
Example: He pulled himself up by his bootstraps and turned his life around.

14. Hang in there: To persist even in difficult circumstances.
Example: Despite the challenges, she continued to hang in there and eventually achieved her goal.

15. Bite off more than one can chew: To take on more responsibility than one can manage.
Example: He bit off more than he could chew by accepting too many projects.

16. No pain, no gain: You have to endure hardship or effort to achieve worthwhile results.
Example: She worked late nights and early mornings, truly living the “no pain, no gain” idiom.

17. Play with fire: To take a serious risk.
Example: By ignoring the warnings, he was playing with fire.

18. Put one’s neck on the line: To risk one’s own interests for the sake of others.
Example: She put her neck on the line to help her friends.

19. Walk the tightrope: To be in a situation where one must be very cautious.
Example: Negotiating that deal was like walking the tightrope.

20. Between a rock and a hard place: In a situation where one has to choose between two equally difficult alternatives.
Example: He was between a rock and a hard place when he had to choose between his career and his family.

21. The ball is in your court: It’s up to you to make the next move.
Example: Now that she’s given her proposal, the ball is in your court.

22. Cross the Rubicon: To take an irreversible step.
Example: By declaring his candidacy, he crossed the Rubicon.

23. On thin ice: In a precarious or risky situation.
Example: He’s on thin ice with his constant lateness.

24. Walk the line: To maintain an intermediate position between contrasting choices, opinions, etc.
Example: As a manager, she had to walk the line between supporting her team and following the company’s directives.

25. Throw caution to the wind: To do something risky or daring.
Example: He threw caution to the wind and invested his savings in the venture.

In conclusion, idioms related to courage illustrate that bravery comes in many forms. It’s not just about heroic deeds but also about persistence, risk-taking, and resilience. So, whether you’re ‘taking the bull by the horns’ or ‘throwing caution to the wind,’ remember that every act of courage, big or small, makes a difference.

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