English Explanatory Dictionary

gumption

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Common sense, initiative, resourcefulness.
  2. Boldness of enterprise; aggressiveness or initiative.
  3. Energy of body and mind, enthusiasm.

Pronunciation

/ˈɡʌmpʃən/ en-us-gumption.ogg en-au-gumption.ogg

Word forms

gumption gumptions

Etymology

Borrowed from Scots gumption (“common sense, shrewdness; drive, initiative”); further etymology unknown, possibly connected with Middle English gome (“attention, heed”), from Old Norse gaumr (“attention, heed”), from Proto-Germanic *gaumō. English cognates include gaum (“to comprehend, understand”) and goam (“to recognize, see”).

Synonyms

gumph chutzpah gump guts spunk

Derived words

gump gumph gumptionless gumption trap gumptious
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