Backbone
Backbone noun - The strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship.
Usage example: it takes backbone to stand up to the kind of suffering that some cancer patients must endure
Fortitude is a synonym for backbone in strength of character topic. In some cases you can use "Fortitude" instead a noun "Backbone".
Nearby Word: backboned
Fortitude
Fortitude noun - The strength of mind that enables a person to endure pain or hardship.
Usage example: it was only with the greatest fortitude that the Pilgrims were able to survive their first winter in Plymouth
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
- heart and backbone
- heart and fortitude
- spirit and backbone
- spirit and fortitude
- mettle and backbone
- mettle and fortitude
- perseverance and backbone
- perseverance and fortitude
- stamina and backbone
- stamina and fortitude
- courage and backbone
- courage and fortitude
- bravery and backbone
- bravery and fortitude
How words are described
| emotional | emotional backbone | emotional fortitude |
| strong | strong backbone | strong fortitude |
| intellectual | intellectual backbone | intellectual fortitude |
| moral | moral backbone | moral fortitude |
| Other adjectives: structural. | ||
Cite this Source
Fortitude and Backbone. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 21, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/backbone/fortitude
Backbone & Fortitude. N.p., 2016. Web. 21 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/backbone/fortitude>.
Fortitude or Backbone. 2016. Accessed July 21, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/backbone/fortitude.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "backbone" and "fortitude" have occurred on timeline