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Gumption: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Gumption noun. Practical good sense, and the get-up-and-go to act on it.
How to say it
GUMP-shun/ˈɡʌm(p)ʃ(ə)n/
2 syllables, stressed on the first (GUMP).
Gumption in a sentence
She had the gumption to ring the manager directly rather than wait in the queue.
Nobody had the gumption to tell him the bridge was closed.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- initiative
- nous
- common sense
- resourcefulness
Opposite:
- foolishness
Where gumption comes from
Scottish, from the 1700s; where it came from before that is unknown.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Nobody had the _____ to tell him the bridge was closed.
- ultracrepidarian
- sockdolager
- gumption
Show the answer
gumption: Nobody had the gumption to tell him the bridge was closed.