Dunkirk spirit

Meanings

1. 1phrasefixed phraseBritish

   The brave and united attitude shown by British people during the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940, often used to describe similar courage in hard times.

   Grammar: Used as a noun phrase; often with 'the' and a singular verb: 'The Dunkirk spirit was evident.'

   Patterns

   • the Dunkirk spirit
   • show the Dunkirk spirit
   • a Dunkirk spirit

   When the flood hit the village, the Dunkirk spirit brought everyone together to help.

   The manager praised the team's Dunkirk spirit after they worked through the night to meet the deadline.

   In times of crisis, the country often calls on its Dunkirk spirit.

2. 2phrasefixed phraseBritishinformal

   A determined and cooperative attitude in the face of adversity, especially among British people.

   Grammar: Often used in journalism and political speeches; may be capitalized.

   Patterns

   • the Dunkirk spirit
   • with Dunkirk spirit

   The volunteers cleaned up the storm damage with true Dunkirk spirit.

   Politicians often invoke the Dunkirk spirit to encourage national unity.

   There was a real Dunkirk spirit among the neighbors during the power cut.

Common combinations

the Dunkirk spirit

The Dunkirk spirit kept morale high during the bombing.

show Dunkirk spirit

The workers showed Dunkirk spirit by volunteering extra hours.

a sense of Dunkirk spirit

There was a sense of Dunkirk spirit in the air as the community rebuilt.

Synonyms and how they differ

Blitz spirit

A similar British phrase referring to the courage shown during the bombing of London; often used interchangeably but historically distinct.

resilience

A more general term for the ability to recover quickly from difficulties; does not carry the specific historical and national connotation.

Opposites

Commonly confused: Dunkirk spirit or Dunkirk?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “Dunkirk spirit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words