List of 426 Sets of Synonyms - How they Differ - Total of 2307 Words - 52

SYNONYMS: brave, courageous, fearless, intrepid, bold, audacious, valiant, valorous, doughty, mettlesome, plucky, dauntless, undaunted.
These adjectives all mean having or showing courage under difficult or dangerous conditions.

Brave, the least specific, is frequently associated with an innate quality: Familiarity with danger makes a brave man braver, but less daring.
Courageous implies an act of consciously rising to a specific test by drawing on a reserve of inner strength: The young platoon leader set a courageous example for his soldiers by leading them safely into and out of jungle territory held by the enemy.
Fearless emphasizes absence of fear and resolute self-possession: Long distance boating races are for fearless loners willing to face the dangers.
Intrepid . sometimes suggests invulnerability to fear: Intrepid pioneers settled the American West
Bold stresses not only readiness to meet danger or difficulty but often also a tendency to seek it out: They're old pilots but few old bold pilots.
Audacious implies extreme confidence and boldness: To demand these God-given rights is to seek black power--what I call audacious power.
Valiant, said principally of persons, suggests the bravery of a hero or a heroine: He was a valiant fighter of the old West.
Valorous applies to the deeds of heroes and heroines: Her passengers, the other hostages, will never forget her calm, confident, valorous work.
Doughty, a bit old-fashioned in flavor and often used humorously, suggests stalwartness: The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.
Mettlesome stresses spirit and love of challenge: The mettlesome actress resumed her career after recovering from a stroke.
Plucky emphasizes spirit and heart in the face of unfavorable odds: Everybody wanted to show these people what England thought of their plucky little country.
Dauntless refers to courage that resists subjection or intimidation: He was faithful in love, and so dauntless in war.
Undaunted suggests courage and resolve that persist after being put to the test: Death and sorrow will be the companions of our journey; hardship our garment; constancy and valor our only shield. We must be united, we must be undaunted, we must be inflexible.