Meaning & use
Spunk
Last updated
Courage, spirit, and determination, especially in the face of difficulty.
See it in a sentence
It took real spunk for her to speak up at the meeting.
The underdog team showed plenty of spunk in the final minutes.
A note on using this word
Originally a Scottish and northern English dialect word for a spark or touchwood, it evolved into a term for fiery spirit; in British slang it also has a separate vulgar meaning, so context matters.
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
cowardice
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