guts
guts — noun
1. The long, tube-shaped digestive parts inside a living creature that break down f
The long, tube-shaped digestive parts inside a living creature that break down food after it leaves the stomach.
After cleaning the fish, the chef threw its guts into the bin.
collocation: clean / remove guts
The biology teacher showed the class a diagram of the guts of a frog.
A sharp pain in my guts sent me to the hospital for a check-up.
The forensic team examined the animal's guts to determine the cause of death.
- intestines
more formal and anatomical; 'guts' is the everyday, informal term
- bowels
slightly formal or clinical; refers to the lower part of the digestive tract
- entrails
used mainly for animals, especially in cooking or hunting contexts
常見錯誤
2. The soft front part of the body below the chest, containing the stomach and othe
The soft front part of the body below the chest, containing the stomach and other organs.
The Watanabe children held their guts and laughed until they cried.
collocation: hold one's guts (laughing)
A strong punch to the guts knocked the boxer to the floor.
The doctor asked the patient to lie down so she could press on his guts.
After the long hike, the whole group felt their guts growling with hunger.
用法筆記
Frequently used in informal speech to refer to the stomach area. This sense refers to the outer stomach and belly area, as opposed to the internal digestive organs described in sense 1 (INTESTINES).
3. The mental strength and bravery needed to do something difficult, dangerous, or
The mental strength and bravery needed to do something difficult, dangerous, or frightening.
The young activist needed guts to stand up and speak in front of a huge crowd.
phrase: need / have the guts to [do something]
Nobody in the office had the guts to tell the manager that his plan was flawed.
The activist showed real guts by challenging the city council at the public hearing.
Climbing that mountain in winter requires a lot of guts and careful planning.
- cowardice
the formal opposite; lack of courage
用法筆記
Always used in plural form even though the meaning is uncountable. Commonly occurs in the pattern 'have the guts to [verb]' and 'it takes guts to [verb]'. Distinguish from sense 1 (INTESTINES) — in this sense 'guts' refers to bravery, not body parts.
常見錯誤
4. The most important or essential parts of something, without which it would not w
The most important or essential parts of something, without which it would not work or make sense.
The new regulations removed the guts of the original environmental protection law.
collocation: the guts of [something] — essential parts
To understand the problem, you need to get to the guts of the disagreement between the two groups.
The editor cut out the guts of the article and left only a short summary for the front page.
用法筆記
Typically used with 'the' — 'the guts of something'. Distinguish from sense 3 (COURAGE): this sense refers to the inner core of a system or idea, not personal bravery.
5. A strong, natural feeling or reaction about something that comes from deep insid
A strong, natural feeling or reaction about something that comes from deep inside you, not from careful reasoning.
My guts told me that something was wrong, even though everyone else seemed happy.
phrase: my guts tell me [that]
The night-shift nurse followed her guts and called the doctor even though the test results were normal.
In business negotiations, Ingrid trusts her guts more than the numbers on a spreadsheet.
- instinct
more formal; 'guts' is informal and bodily in tone
- intuition
neutral and common; 'guts' emphasises the physical, emotional nature of the feeling
- sixth sense
less common; suggests a mysterious or unexplainable awareness
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 3 (COURAGE): this sense describes an instinctive feeling or intuition, not bravery. Often appears in the pattern 'my guts tell me (that)…' or 'trust your guts'. Frequently interchangeable with singular 'gut' — 'my gut tells me' is equally common.
guts — adjective
1. Based on a strong natural feeling, not on logical thought; coming from deep insi
Based on a strong natural feeling, not on logical thought; coming from deep inside you without thinking about it.
When she saw the dark clouds gathering, her gut reaction was to cancel the picnic.
collocation: gut reaction
The detective had a gut feeling that the suspect was not telling the truth about his alibi.
Amina's gut instinct told her to take the small road instead of the highway.
Choosing the apartment was not a logical decision — it was a pure gut choice based on how it felt.
- visceral
more formal; used especially in writing to describe deep emotional responses
- instinctive
neutral; describes actions or feelings that happen without conscious thought
- intuitive
focuses on understanding something without reasoning; slightly more intellectual
- rational
based on logic and reason rather than emotion
- considered
thought about carefully rather than felt instinctively
文法句型
gut + noun (gut feeling, gut reaction, gut instinct)
用法筆記
This adjective only appears before a noun (attributive position). You cannot say '*My reaction was gut.' Common collocations are 'gut feeling', 'gut reaction', and 'gut instinct'. The headword form 'guts' is not used adjectivally — the adjective is 'gut'.
常見錯誤
2. Describing something that affects someone very strongly on an emotional level, u
Describing something that affects someone very strongly on an emotional level, used only in compounds such as 'gut-wrenching' and 'gut punch'.
The documentary gave a gut-wrenching account of the earthquake's destruction in the coastal village.
compound: gut-wrenching
The final scene of the film was a real gut punch that left the audience silent.
Hearing the news of the factory closure was a real gut punch for every worker in the town.
- heartbreaking
focuses on sadness; 'gut-wrenching' suggests a more physical, visceral reaction
- devastating
emphasises destruction or overwhelming impact
- visceral
more formal; describes a deeply felt emotional response
文法句型
gut- + past participle (gut-wrenching, gut-wrenching)
用法筆記
This sense captures the metaphorical extension of 'gut' (singular) used in compounds like 'gut-wrenching' and 'gut punch'. The adjective 'guts' is not used directly — the relevant form for this meaning is 'gut' as part of compound expressions.
guts — verb
1. To cut open a fish, animal, or bird and take away everything inside its body, us
To cut open a fish, animal, or bird and take away everything inside its body, usually before cooking it.
The fisherman gutted his catch right there on the wooden deck of the old boat.
In the cooking video, the chef showed how to gut and scale a fish in three minutes.
pattern: gut and scale a fish
The hunter gutted the deer before carrying it back to the camp for the evening meal.
- eviscerate
formal, medical, or technical term; much less common in everyday speech
- clean
broader term that includes gutting plus other preparation steps
文法句型
gut + noun (animal/fish)
用法筆記
This verb is the active counterpart of the noun sense 1 (INTESTINES). It is most commonly used when talking about preparing fish or game animals for eating.
2. To strip away the most vital elements of a system, organisation, law, or buildin
To strip away the most vital elements of a system, organisation, law, or building, leaving it severely weakened or hollow.
The new budget completely gutted the school's music and art programmes across the district.
collocation: gut programmes / services
The old factory was gutted by a fire that ripped through it late on Tuesday night.
Years of poor management have gutted the company, leaving it with nothing but debts.
- devastate
broader; can refer to emotional or physical destruction
- wreck
informal; similar intensity to 'gut'
- sabotage
implies deliberate, often secret, destruction
- hollow out
emphasises the removal of inner content while leaving the outer shell
- strengthen
to make something more powerful or effective
- reinforce
to add support to something
文法句型
gut + noun (system / law / building)
用法筆記
Often used in passive voice ('was gutted'). Distinguish from verb sense 1 (REMOVE ORGANS) — this sense is figurative and applies to organisations, laws, systems, or buildings.