gut
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a person's stomach, especially if it is large or fat.
n.the human abdomen, particularly when prominent or enlarged.
Simple“He has developed a bit of a gut since he stopped going to the gym.”
In context“The protagonist was described as a jovial man with a protruding gut that shook whenever he laughed.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a strong feeling about something that is not based on facts.
n.an instinctive or visceral feeling rather than a conscious reasoning process.
Simple“My gut told me that something was wrong, even though he seemed nice.”
In context“Despite the lack of empirical evidence, the detective followed his gut and kept the suspect under surveillance.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the bravery or determination needed to do something difficult.
n.personal courage, fortitude, or determination.
Simple“It took a lot of guts to tell the boss that her idea wouldn't work.”
In context“The young athlete showed immense guts by finishing the race despite a painful ankle injury.”
UsageAlmost always used in the plural form 'guts' in this sense.
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to remove the internal organs of a fish or animal before cooking it.
v.to eviscerate an animal; by extension, to remove the internal contents of a building or the essential parts of a plan.
Simple“We spent the afternoon learning how to gut and clean the fish we caught.”
In context“The developers plan to gut the old warehouse and convert it into luxury loft apartments.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.describing a feeling or reaction that is deep and automatic rather than logical.
adj.visceral or instinctive; relating to a primary emotional response.
Simple“My gut reaction was to say no, but I decided to think about it first.”
In context“The CEO relied on a gut instinct that had served him well throughout his thirty-year career in finance.”
UsageUsually appears before a noun, such as 'gut feeling' or 'gut reaction'.
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage gut bacteria
“Unlike most animals, it has no mouth or gut.”
“Plant based diets support health in several ways, including benefits for the gut, immune system, metabolism, and cardiovascular system.”
* As a German, Alemannic German, and Jewish surname, variant of Guth. Also compare Gutmann. * As an English surname, from the noun gut. See Gott.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.