1
2
guts plural
: the inner essential parts
the guts of a car
3
4
: the basic visceral, emotional, or instinctual part of a person
She knew in her gut that he was lying.
Consult more than one financial adviser before making a final choice, and trust your gut.—
Quentin Fottrell
Quentin FottrellMy gut says this is, overall, a terrible idea.—Erica Buist
—often used before another nounErica Buistmaking a gut decision
a gut feeling
"Tony's a very driven guy, and he makes a lot of decisions based on gut instinct," …—Tom Nides
Tom Nides5
: a narrow passage
also
: a narrow waterway or small creek
6
: the sac of silk taken from a silkworm ready to spin its cocoon and drawn out into a thread for use as a snell
7
1
: arising from one's inmost self : visceral
a gut reaction
2
: having strong impact or immediate relevance
gut issues
gutted; gutting
1
a
b
: to extract all the essential passages or portions from
2
a
: to destroy the inside of
fire gutted the building
b
: to destroy the essential power or effectiveness of
inflation gutting the economy
grand unified theory; grand unification theory
Synonyms
Examples of gut in a Sentence
Noun
the guts of the fish
the guts of a machine
the guts of a business deal
That decision took a lot of guts.
I didn't have the guts to do it.
Verb
The salmon is already gutted and filleted.
Critics claim that these reforms will gut the law.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
And the gut says Sean Payton’s team is ready for this challenge.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
Johna Burdeos, Health, 20 Oct. 2024
So Van Tyne and her team looked to a source that’s teeming with gut bacteria: wastewater.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024
David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
These are people who could use their skills for the good of humankind and seem to concentrate on something that will gut the future of existing programmers and someday now-in-training software developers.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gut 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Sure, your gut might be wrong, but what your gut has to say is: Nothing good can happen in a space like this.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024
And the gut says Sean Payton’s team is ready for this challenge.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
Adjective
Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs): These are produced when gut microbiota ferments (breaks down) carbohydrates in plant foods.
—Johna Burdeos, Health, 20 Oct. 2024
So Van Tyne and her team looked to a source that’s teeming with gut bacteria: wastewater.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024
Verb
Will Baker Mayfield and the Bucs gut out an upset win at Arrowhead Stadium?
—David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
These are people who could use their skills for the good of humankind and seem to concentrate on something that will gut the future of existing programmers and someday now-in-training software developers.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gut
Dictionary Entries Near gut
Cite this Entry
“Gut.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gut. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gut
2 of 2 verb
gutted; gutting
1
: to remove the entrails from
scale and gut a fish
2
: to destroy the inside of
fire gutted the building
Medical Definition
gut
1 of 2 noun1
a
: digestive tract
also
: part of the digestive tract and especially the intestine or stomach
the mix of bacteria making up the flora of the gut —W. E. Leary
W. E. Leary
b
: abdomen sense 1a, belly
—usually used in plural —not often in formal use
his huge gut hung far below his belt—L. M. Uris
L. M. Uris2
: catgut
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