different between mettle vs tenacity

English

Etymology

1580s, originally a variant of metal, which had a figurative sense until the early 18th century.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?m?t.l?/, /?m?.t?l/
• Rhymes: -?t?l
• Homophones: metal, medal, meddle (in accents with flapping)

Noun

mettle (usually uncountable, plural mettles)

1. A quality of endurance and courage.

   Synonyms: courage, heart, spirit

   • 2001, Harry J. Alexandrowicz, Testing your Mettle: Tough Problems and Real-world Solutions for Middle and High School Teachers, page xiii

     Please read on and discover the issues in education that test the mettle of those who experience this world every day.
2. Good temperament and character.
3. (obsolete) Metal; a metallic substance.

Derived terms

• mettlesome

Translations

References

English

Etymology

tenac(ious) +? -ity, from Middle French ténacité, from Latin ten?cit?s.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /t??næs.?.ti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /t??næs?ti/
• Hyphenation: tena?city

Noun

tenacity (countable and uncountable, plural tenacities)

1. The quality or state of being tenacious, or persistence of purpose; tenaciousness.
   • 2009, Jorge Cham, PHD Comics: Softball: younger and faster:

     — Our opponents may be younger, faster and less out of shape than we are, but we have something they’ll never have!

     — Tenure?

     — Tenacity!

2. The quality of bodies which keeps them from parting without considerable force, as distinguished from brittleness, fragility, mobility, etc.
3. The effect of this attraction, cohesiveness.
4. The quality of bodies which makes them adhere to other bodies; adhesiveness, viscosity.
5. (physics) The greatest longitudinal stress a substance can bear without tearing asunder, usually expressed with reference to a unit area of the cross section of the substance, as the number of pounds per square inch, or kilograms per square centimeter, necessary to produce rupture.

Synonyms

• (state of being tenacious): tenaciousness, determination, persistency, retentiveness, stubbornness
• (quality keeping bodies together): cohesiveness
• (quality making bodies adhere): adhesiveness, viscosity

Antonyms

• (quality keeping bodies together): brittleness, fragility, mobility

Related terms

• tenacious
• tenaciously

Translations