Bill ZehmeWilliam Shakespeare
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Is mettle Connected to Metal?
Originally, mettle was simply a variant spelling of the word metal (which dates to at least the 13th century), and it was used in all of the same senses as its metallic relative. Over time, however, mettle came to be used mainly in figurative senses referring to the quality of someone's character. It eventually became a distinct English word in its own right, losing its literal sense altogether. Metal remained a term primarily used for those hard, shiny substances such as steel or iron, but it also acquired a figurative use. Today, both words can mean "vigor and strength of spirit or temperament," but only metal is used of metallic substances.
Examples of mettle in a Sentence
Larry Light, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
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Nonetheless, Hill proved his mettle on the postseason stage as the Yankees chased their 28th World Series title.
—Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025
Others are brilliant master watchmakers who long toil for other brands and one day strike out on their own to prove their mettle.
—Carol Besler, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Experienced surfers test their mettle on La Purruja, a lefthand reef break in front of the main parking lot, and Little Hawaii, a barreling reef break on the very north side of the beach.
—Jen Murphy, Outside Online, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mettle
Cite this Entry
“Mettle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mettle. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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mettle
noun
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