gumption means common sense, initiative, resourcefulness. It carries an Arena rating of 1740, earned across 7 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, gumption ranks #699 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say, #774 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,682 of 17,163 for Funniest Words, #3,795 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words.
gumption is pronounced /ˈɡʌmpʃən/.
Why “gumption” is a great word
Shrewd initiative, practical common sense, and resourceful determination. Borrowed from Scots gumption, of unknown origin, possibly connected to Middle English gome ("attention, heed") from Old Norse gaumr ("attention, heed"), first attested in the early 1700s. Unlike prudence, which emphasizes cautious risk-avoidance, or audacity, which suggests a reckless daring, gumption implies a grounded, canny boldness. It is the grease-stained manual open on the workbench, the improvised tool fashioned from a coat hanger, and the quiet decision to walk through the door no one else thought to try—the humble, stubborn engine of progress in a world content with stillness.
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”).
noun
- Common sense, initiative, resourcefulness.
- Boldness of enterprise; aggressiveness or initiative.
- Energy of body and mind, enthusiasm.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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