guts

The courage to do something difficult, frightening, or unpopular.

• You have guts.
• It took guts to speak up.
• Did he have the guts to tell her?

How to use it: have the guts to do something (She had the guts to challenge the boss.); it takes guts to do something (It takes guts to admit you were wrong.)

Similar words: courage, nerve, bravery

Opposites: cowardice

Common phrases: have guts, take guts, guts to do something

The organs inside the belly, especially the intestines.

• He removed the fish's guts.
• The wound exposed the animal's guts.
• She cleaned the guts from the kitchen sink.

Similar words: entrails, innards

Common phrases: fish guts, spill someone’s guts, remove the guts

The main parts inside something, or the details that make it work.

• He understands the guts of the business.
• Removing the cover exposed the computer's guts.
• We need to examine the guts of this system.

How to use it: the guts of something (The technician showed me the guts of the machine.)

Similar words: inner workings, core

Common phrases: guts of something, computer guts, machine’s guts

The long tubes inside bodies that food passes through after leaving the stomach.

• These bacteria live in animals' guts.
• The fish guts were removed before cooking.
• Healthy guts help animals digest food.

Similar words: intestines, bowels

Common phrases: healthy guts, animal guts, fish guts

Your most private thoughts and feelings.

• I spilled my guts to her.
• He poured his guts into a long letter.
• After years of silence, she finally spilled her guts.

How to use it: spill your guts to someone (She spilled her guts to her closest friend.)

Similar words: innermost feelings

Common phrases: spill your guts, pour your guts

To keep going through something difficult by showing courage and determination.

• She decided to guts it out.
• He gutsed out a narrow victory.
• They were gutsing it out through the final minutes.

How to use it: guts something out (She gutsed the final mile out despite her sore ankle.); guts it out (He had to guts it out until help arrived.)

Similar words: persevere, tough it out

Opposites: quit

Common phrases: guts it out, guts out something