Meaning & use
bravery
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
Willingness to face danger, pain or fear without turning away from it.
Grammar: No plural or article normally: he showed great bravery.
Patterns
- show bravery
- bravery in the face of something
- bravery in doing something
The firefighter received a medal for bravery.
It took real bravery to speak up against the boss.
The children showed bravery during the storm.
nouncountable
Brave behavior, as shown in a particular action or episode.
Grammar: Used less often, usually with an act as the focus: an act of bravery.
Patterns
- an act of bravery
Stories of his wartime bravery were told for years.
She was honored for her many acts of bravery.
His small acts of bravery went unnoticed.
Common combinations
- act of bravery
- Pulling the child from the river was an act of bravery.
- show bravery
- The soldiers showed great bravery.
- bravery award
- He won a national bravery award.
- sheer bravery
- It was sheer bravery that saved the climbers.
- bravery in the face of
- The nurses worked with bravery in the face of danger.
Synonyms and how they differ
- courage
- Courage is a broader inner quality that can stay quiet, while bravery often points to visible action.
- valor
- Valor is formal and used for heroism in battle.
- fearlessness
- Fearlessness means not feeling fear at all, but bravery means acting despite fear.
- boldness
- Boldness suggests confidence and willingness to take risks, not necessarily facing danger.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: bravery or bravado?
bravery vs bravado
Bravado is a show of confidence, often hiding fear, while bravery is the real thing.
Practice
The firefighter was awarded a medal for her ___ in saving three people from the burning building.
Choose one answer.
Bravery is the noun for courageous behavior. Bravado is a showy pretense, brevity means shortness, and bravely is an adverb.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “bravery”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.