strong spirit; mettle; backbone; guts; fighting spirit
Refers to an inner quality of determination, courage, and resolve, often in the face of difficulty. Common in contexts of leadership, competition, or moral strength.
He has the mettle to face difficulties.
I want young people to have more fighting spirit.
He has the mettle to face difficulties head-on.
She has the spirit to never give up until the end.
The new employee showed real backbone in the negotiation.
Young people today are sometimes said to lack spirit.
意気込み is enthusiastic eagerness for a specific task, whereas 気概 describes a deeper, enduring inner resolve.
気力 is general mental/physical energy or vigor, while 気概 specifically means courageous resolve in facing hardship.
度胸 emphasizes fearlessness or nerve in the moment, while 気概 is a more sustained, principled spirit of determination.
張り is a personal sense of purpose or inner spirit, while 気概 is a more formal word for backbone or resolute spirit.
気概 is more formal and typically describes principled moral fortitude, while 心意気 has a warmer, more personal tone about spirited resolve.
気概 refers to a spirited resolve or backbone in facing challenges, while 不屈 specifically stresses never being broken by hardship.
気概 is a formal, literary word for strong spirit or mettle, whereas 意気地 is more colloquial and typically appears in everyday negative remarks like 意気地がない.
気概 highlights a strong, unyielding backbone or mettle in the face of difficulty, while 意気 is a more neutral word for spirit or morale.
弱気 means timidity or a faint-hearted attitude, the opposite of the bold resolve expressed by 気概.
意気地 is close in meaning to 気概 but is mostly used in negative constructions like 意気地がない (spineless), whereas 気概 stands alone as a positive quality.
A Sino-Japanese word from Chinese 氣概, denoting spirit, mettle, or strength of character.