gut
gb/ɡˈʌt/ us/ɡˈʌt/
B1
English
~ 1900
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
stomach or intestines
The stomach or the long tube inside the body that takes food in and turns it into energy.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s gut
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'gut' with 'abdomen' or 'belly', which refer to the outside body part, not the internal digestive system.
Synonyms
stomach (Commonly used for the front part of the abdomen; 'gut' can be more informal or refer to the whole digestive system.)
Antonyms
brain (Not a direct physical opposite, but often contrasted in phrases like 'gut vs. brain decision'.)
Collocations
empty stomach
|gut bacteria
|gut health
|gut pain
Themes
biology
|health
|daily life
|body
Examples
- The doctor said my gut was inflamed.
- He felt a sharp pain in his gut after eating too fast.
- Fish have a shorter gut than mammals.
Learner examples
- I have pain in my gut.
- Food goes through your gut.
- My gut hurts after lunch.
Noun
informal
B2
entity
2
instinct or intuition
A feeling you have about something, even if you do not know why.
Usage pattern:
a gut feeling that [clause]
Common mistake:
Learners may misunderstand 'gut feeling' as a physical stomach sensation rather than an instinctive thought.
Synonyms
intuition (More formal and neutral; 'gut' is more informal and vivid.)
Antonyms
reasoning (Reasoning is based on logic and evidence, opposite of instinctive feeling.)
Collocations
gut feeling
|trust your gut
|gut reaction
Themes
emotions
|decision-making
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I had a gut feeling that something was wrong.
- Trust your gut when making big decisions.
- Her gut told her not to go into the building.
Learner examples
- I have a gut feeling about this.
- He trusts his gut when he plays chess.
- My gut says we should go home.
Verb
B2
action
3
remove inner parts
To take out the inside parts of something, like an animal or a building.
Usage pattern:
to gut [animal/building]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'gut' with 'cut', but 'gut' means to remove insides, not just to slice.
Synonyms
eviscerate (More formal and technical; used in medical or literary contexts.)
Antonyms
fill (To put something inside rather than remove it.)
Collocations
gut a fish
|gut a house
|gut the building
Themes
food preparation
|construction
|animals
|food_drink
Examples
- They gutted the old factory to make room for apartments.
- The fisherman gutted the salmon before cooking it.
- The kitchen was gutted during the renovation.
Learner examples
- We will gut the old house.
- He gutted the fish before dinner.
- They gutted the shop to make it new.
Noun
informal
B2
property
4
courage or bravery
The courage to do something hard or dangerous.
Usage pattern:
have the guts to [verb]
Common mistake:
'Guts' in this sense is always plural; learners may mistakenly use 'gut'.
Synonyms
bravery ('Bravery' is more formal and general; 'guts' is informal and vivid.)
Antonyms
cowardice (Lack of courage in facing danger or difficulty.)
Collocations
have guts
|show guts
|lack guts
Themes
emotions
|character
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She had the guts to speak up against the unfair rules.
- It takes guts to start your own business.
- He finally found the guts to propose to her.
Learner examples
- He has guts to try that.
- She needs guts to talk to him.
- It takes guts to climb that mountain.
Grammar
Dictionary form
gut
IPA
GB/ɡˈʌt/
US/ɡˈʌt/
Syllables & stress
gut (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (gut)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: gut
- Plural: gut, guts
Verb
- Base: gut
- 3rd Person Singular: guts
- Present Participle: gutting
- Past: gutted
Word family
Forms
guts
noun
gutting
verb
gutted
verb
Related words
gutsy
adjective B2
Negative and opposite forms
gutless
adjective
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: gutting Verb
- Irregular past: gutted Verb
Expressions
gut feeling
1/ɡˈʌt fˈilɪŋ/
fixed phrase
informal
instinctive belief without proof
A strong feeling you have about something without knowing why.
Examples
- I had a gut feeling that she was lying.
- He went with his gut feeling and bought the ticket.
gut feeling
1/ɡˈʌt fˈilɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Instinctive belief or hunch
A feeling that something is true, even though you cannot explain why.
Examples
- My gut feeling is that we should wait.
- She had a gut feeling something was wrong.
- He couldn't prove it, but his gut feeling told him not to trust the offer.
have the guts (to)
1/hˈæv ðə ɡˈʌts tə/
idiom
informal
be brave enough to do something difficult
To be brave enough to do something hard or dangerous.
Examples
- She finally had the guts to quit her job.
- Do you have the guts to tell him the truth?
bust a gut
1/bˈʌst ə ɡˈʌt/
idiom
informal
Work extremely hard or laugh hard
to work very, very hard, or to laugh so much that your stomach hurts
Examples
- They busted a gut trying to finish on time.
- They busted a gut to get the project finished on time.
- He busted a gut studying for the exam.
- Don’t bust a gut over it; it’s not that important.
- The comedian had the whole audience busting a gut with laughter.
spill your guts
1/spˈɪl jˈʊɹ ɡˈʌts/
idiom
informal
Reveal all personal information/feelings
To tell someone everything you know or feel, often personal things or secrets.
Examples
- After a few drinks, he started to spill his guts about his childhood.
- He spilled his guts during the interview about his past mistakes.
- She refused to spill her guts during the interview.
- After a few drinks, she spilled her guts about her relationship problems.
trust your gut
1/tɹˈʌst jˈʊɹ ɡˈʌt/
idiom
informal
Follow your instincts when deciding
Make a decision by following your feeling instead of thinking too much about facts.
Examples
- When choosing a job, sometimes you just have to trust your gut.
- He trusted his gut and invested in the small company.
- I trusted my gut and it turned out right.