gut
gut — verb
1. When a building is gutted by fire, the flames destroy everything inside and only
When a building is gutted by fire, the flames destroy everything inside and only the outer walls remain standing.
A fire gutted the old wooden school hall last Tuesday night.
active: gut + building in fire context
The factory was completely gutted by flames before the firefighters arrived.
passive: be gutted by flames
Many historic buildings in the city centre were gutted during the 1892 fire.
The church was gutted by a fire that started in the basement kitchen.
An electrical fault gutted the warehouse and destroyed thousands of boxes of goods.
active: gut + building, cause specified
- gutted by fire
- gutted by flames
- completely gutted
- partially gutted
Grammar Patterns
be gutted + by [fire, flames, blaze]
gut + building/structure
Usage Note
Frequently used in the passive form (be gutted by fire). This sense always describes destruction, not renovation.
Common Mistakes
2. To strip out all the interior walls, fittings, and fixtures from a building so t
To strip out all the interior walls, fittings, and fixtures from a building so that the space can be entirely redesigned and rebuilt from scratch.
The couple gutted the old apartment before installing new plumbing and wiring.
active: gut + building before renovation work
Lara gutted the kitchen completely and chose new cabinets and tiles.
Developers gutted the factory and turned the space into modern loft apartments.
The entire top floor was gutted so the offices could become open-plan workspaces.
passive: was gutted for redesign purpose
Anong decided to gut the bathroom and replace everything from the bathtub to the tiles.
- gut the kitchen
- gut the apartment
- gutted for renovation
- completely gutted and rebuilt
Grammar Patterns
gut + building/room/kitchen
be gutted + for [renovation, redevelopment]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 1: this sense describes a deliberate removal of interiors for renovation, not destruction by fire. The subject is a person or developer, not a fire.
Common Mistakes
3. To take the internal organs out of a fish, bird, or animal before cooking and pr
To take the internal organs out of a fish, bird, or animal before cooking and preparing it as food.
The fisherman gutted the trout beside the river before bringing it home for dinner.
active: gut + fish before cooking
Ryo taught his daughter how to gut a fish properly with a sharp knife.
The cook gutted the chicken, then rinsed it thoroughly under cold running water.
At the outdoor market, Putri watched the seller gut the fresh mackerel for her customer.
active: gut + fish at market setting
The farm workers killed and gutted the turkeys the night before the holiday feast.
- gut the fish
- gut the chicken
- gut and clean
- caught, gutted, and cooked
- eviscerate
formal or medical term; gut is the everyday word
- clean
broader — includes scaling, removing head; gut is one specific step
- dress
hunting/cooking term for preparing the whole animal; gut is part of dressing
Grammar Patterns
gut + fish/animal/bird
gut + [animal] + before [cooking, roasting]
Common Mistakes
gut — noun
1. the long tube inside the body that carries food from the stomach through the pro
the long tube inside the body that carries food from the stomach through the process of digestion until waste leaves the body
The doctor explained how food travels through the gut after we swallow it.
the + gut; passive: is carried through
Regular exercise helps keep your gut healthy and working properly.
your + gut; collocation: keep + gut + healthy
An infection in the gut can make it hard to absorb nutrients from food.
Dario's doctor told him that stress affects the gut more than people realise.
The human gut contains billions of bacteria that help break down food.
- healthy gut
- human gut
- digestive gut
- gut infection
- gut bacteria
- digestive tract
more formal or technical term for the same physical system
- intestines
more specific; refers to the lower part of the gut, not the stomach
- alimentary canal
scientific term covering the whole digestive passage
Grammar Patterns
the + gut
a person's + gut
2. the belly area of a person, describing a stomach that is noticeably big, round,
the belly area of a person, describing a stomach that is noticeably big, round, or pushes forward
After years of drinking beer every night, Uncle Mateo had grown quite a gut.
have a gut = have a large belly
Adaeze patted her gut and laughed after finishing the huge meal.
The old man's gut hung over his belt as he sat reading his newspaper.
A large gut can put extra pressure on the lower back and knees.
James decided to start running when his gut started getting in the way of tying his shoes.
- big gut
- large gut
- fat gut
- beer gut
- gut hanging over
Grammar Patterns
possessive + gut
a + adjective + gut
Usage Note
This sense is informal; in formal or medical contexts, use 'stomach' or 'abdomen' instead. It is almost always used to describe a noticeably large or protruding belly.
Common Mistakes
3. the internal organs of an animal, especially the intestines and stomach, often r
the internal organs of an animal, especially the intestines and stomach, often removed before cooking the meat
The hunter removed the deer's guts before carrying the meat home.
remove + the + [animal]'s + guts
Élise carefully cleaned the fish and threw its guts into the garden for the birds.
Selim rinsed the pig's guts in cold water before using them as sausage casings.
cooking context: guts used as sausage casings
The vet examined the rabbit's guts to find the cause of its illness.
Zola removed the fish guts at the kitchen sink before rinsing the fillets under the tap.
- animal guts
- remove the guts
- clean the guts
- fish guts
- chicken guts
Grammar Patterns
the + guts + of + animal
remove + guts
Usage Note
Used in the plural form 'guts' to refer to a collection of internal organs. The singular 'gut' for this sense is rare and would refer to a single organ.
4. a tough thin cord made from animal intestines, traditionally used to string viol
a tough thin cord made from animal intestines, traditionally used to string violins, tennis rackets, and for surgical stitching
Professional violinists used gut strings long before metal or nylon were available.
gut + strings; past tense: long before...
Tennis rackets were strung with gut until the 1970s when synthetic fibres took over.
The musician preferred the warm tone that gut produced on her cello.
Stefan replaced the gut strings on his tennis racket just before the championship match.
specific person + gut strings + tennis racket
- gut string
- gut racket
- gut violin
- made of gut
- catgut
the full common name for this material
Grammar Patterns
made of + gut
gut + string
Usage Note
Often called 'catgut', though it was never made from cats — the name probably comes from 'kitgut' (kit meaning a small violin). Today, synthetic materials have almost completely replaced gut for most uses.
5. a strong, unexplainable belief about a person or a situation that comes from ins
a strong, unexplainable belief about a person or a situation that comes from instinct rather than from careful reasoning
Anya had a gut feeling that she should not take the job, even though the pay was good.
have a gut feeling + that-clause
Mateo's gut told him the house was a bad investment, so he walked away from the deal.
Mira's gut feeling about the candidate turned out to be right after just two weeks on the job.
Hoa's gut feeling told her the patient had internal bleeding, even though the test results looked normal.
doctor using gut feeling in medical diagnosis
Hamza ignored his gut feeling and lent the money, which he never got back.
- gut feeling
- gut instinct
- have a gut feeling
- trust your gut
- listen to your gut
Grammar Patterns
have a + gut feeling + (that)
gut + tells + person + that
Usage Note
The subject is often a possessive pronoun ('my gut', 'her gut') or appears in the 'have a gut feeling' construction. This sense is informal; in formal writing, use 'intuition' or 'instinct' instead.
Common Mistakes
6. a method of making choices that relies on emotional instinct and immediate feeli
a method of making choices that relies on emotional instinct and immediate feelings instead of logical analysis and careful thought
When the two candidates seemed equally qualified, Erik went with his gut and hired the quieter one.
go with + possessive + gut = decide instinctively
Yuna relied on her gut to pick which apartment to rent, and she never regretted it.
Experienced poker players learn to trust their gut when the odds are too close to calculate.
Following your gut is not always wise when buying a house or making a large investment.
Rachid made the choice by gut rather than by studying the market reports.
- go with your gut
- trust your gut
- follow your gut
- by gut
- gut decision
Grammar Patterns
go with + possessive + gut
follow + possessive + gut
by + gut
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 5 (GUT FEELING): sense 5 is the feeling itself ('I have a gut feeling'), while this sense is the decision-making method ('I went with my gut'). The fixed phrase 'go with your gut' is the most common pattern for this sense.
Common Mistakes
7. the mental toughness and bravery required when facing a hard, frightening, or un
the mental toughness and bravery required when facing a hard, frightening, or uncertain situation, for example standing up to an unfair rule or making a major life change
Standing up to the school bully took more guts than Élise thought she had.
plural 'guts' used as an uncountable noun for courage
It takes real guts to admit you were wrong in front of a large audience.
'It takes guts + to-infinitive' pattern
Caio did not have the guts to ask his boss for a raise after only three months.
The decision to leave her hometown and move abroad required a lot of guts from Yael.
Christopher showed surprising guts when he volunteered to give the first wedding speech.
common phrase: 'show guts' meaning demonstrate courage
- have the guts
- take guts
- show guts
- the guts to do something
Grammar Patterns
have the guts + to-infinitive
Usage Note
In this sense, 'guts' is always used in its plural form but takes singular meaning. Frequently appears in the fixed phrase 'have the guts to do something.'
Common Mistakes
8. a very narrow stretch of salt water that connects two larger bodies of water, of
a very narrow stretch of salt water that connects two larger bodies of water, often running between islands or along a rugged coastline
The fishing boat passed through a narrow gut between the two rocky islands.
countable: 'a gut' as a narrow water passage
Small ships use this gut to avoid the rough currents of the open sea.
The gut connecting the lake to the ocean is only fifty metres wide at low tide.
During the storm, the captain steered the vessel into a sheltered gut for safety.
Local fishermen know every hidden gut along this part of the rocky coastline.
geographical term: 'gut' meaning a narrow channel between land masses
- narrow gut
- sheltered gut
- hidden gut
- through a gut
9. the most essential or central part of something, without which it would not func
the most essential or central part of something, without which it would not function or have real meaning, such as the key workings of a machine or the heart of an argument
Putri spent hours learning the guts of the computer system before her first day at work.
phrase: 'the guts of [a system]' meaning internal workings
The real gut of the issue is whether the company can afford to hire more staff.
To fix the old generator you need to understand the guts of how it operates.
The gut of the novel is a simple story of love and loss during the civil war.
'the gut of [a story]' — the core theme or meaning
Tendai believes the gut of a good education is teaching students how to think for themselves.
- the gut of
- the guts of
- get to the gut of
- real gut of
Grammar Patterns
the gut of + noun phrase
the guts of + noun phrase
Usage Note
Both 'gut' (singular) and 'guts' (plural) are used in this sense with the same meaning. 'Guts' is more common for physical objects like machines; 'gut' is more common for abstract things like issues or arguments.
Common Mistakes
hate someone's guts
idiomto dislike another person extremely strongly, with intense anger or hostility
Christopher hated the landlord's guts after he raised the rent without warning.
The two politicians hated each other's guts but smiled for the cameras.
to make a very great physical or mental effort to achieve something
The team bust a gut to finish the project before the Friday deadline.
Esme bust a gut trying to lift the heavy box onto the top shelf.
to work extremely hard and with great effort, often to the point of exhaustion
The farm workers sweated their guts out during the summer harvest under the hot sun.
Talia slogged her guts out studying for the exam and finally passed with top marks.
to tell someone every detail of your private thoughts, feelings, or secrets, without holding anything back
After a few drinks, Amelia spilled her guts to her best friend about her problems at work.
The witness spilled his guts to the police and told them everything he had seen that night.
to be extremely angry with someone and intend to punish them severely — used as a threat, often humorously
If that boy touches my car again, I'll have his guts for garters.
The boss said she'd have his guts for garters if he was late one more time.
greedy guts
idioma person, especially a child, who eats too much or takes more than their fair share of food
Stop being such a greedy guts and leave some cake for your sister.
The children called him a greedy guts when he grabbed the last three cookies.
To try very hard to do something.
Mia bust a gut to finish the project on time.
Did you bust a gut cleaning the entire house?
go with your gut
idiomTo make a decision based on a strong feeling, not on facts.
Sara went with her gut and chose the blue dress.
When you're unsure, go with your gut feeling.
hate somebody’s guts
idiomTo dislike someone very strongly.
Tom hates his boss's guts after the unfair criticism.
Why do you hate my guts? I never did anything wrong.
To be extremely angry with someone and punish them severely.
If you break that vase, Mom will have your guts for garters.
The coach said he'd have our guts for garters if we lost.
To work extremely hard to achieve something.
Diego slogged his guts out to win the marathon.
She worked her guts out preparing for the final exam.
To tell someone everything you know or feel, especially when upset.
After the breakup, Lisa spilled her guts to her best friend.
He spilled his guts about the secret plan to the police.
gut — adjective
1. based on a strong emotional feeling about something, rather than on careful thou
based on a strong emotional feeling about something, rather than on careful thought or available facts
Tunde had a gut feeling that the job interview went well.
collocation: gut feeling
When the fire alarm went off, Élise's gut reaction was to run to the door.
collocation: gut reaction
My gut instinct told me the old house was not a safe place to stay.
collocation: gut instinct
Noa trusted her gut response and walked away from the bad deal.
- gut feeling
- gut reaction
- gut instinct
- gut response
- gut call
- rational
based on reason rather than emotion
- deliberate
carefully considered over time
Grammar Patterns
gut + noun (feeling, reaction, instinct, etc.)
Usage Note
This sense is always used before a noun (attributive position). The noun it modifies is almost always a type of mental or emotional reaction — common collocates include 'feeling', 'reaction', 'instinct', and 'response'.
Common Mistakes
2. producing a very powerful effect on someone's emotions or being directly relevan
producing a very powerful effect on someone's emotions or being directly relevant to the most central aspects of a situation
The documentary gave a gut-wrenching account of life inside the refugee camp.
compound adjective: gut-wrenching
The photo of the injured child was gut-wrenching, and Valentina turned away from the screen.
compound adjective: gut-wrenching
Hannah described the film as a gut-level drama about loss and family secrets.
compound adjective: gut-level
Daichi watched a gut-wrenching documentary about the struggle of refugee families.
- gut-wrenching
- gut-churning
- gut-punching
- gut-level
- powerful
broader and less informal; lacks the visceral, physical connotation
- intense
focuses on strength of feeling but does not suggest a gut-level reaction specifically
- hard-hitting
similarly informal and journalistic; emphasises directness more than emotional depth
- mild
gentle in impact or emotion
- superficial
lacking depth or real importance
Grammar Patterns
gut- + present participle (wrenching, churning, punching)
Usage Note
Often appears as the first part of a compound adjective formed with a present participle (gut-wrenching, gut-churning, gut-punching) or a noun (gut-level). These compounds are common in journalism and informal speech.
Common Mistakes
gut — abbreviation
1. a scientific model that tries to explain three of the four fundamental forces of
a scientific model that tries to explain three of the four fundamental forces of nature — the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, and the electromagnetic force — as different parts of a single force
Many physicists believe a GUT could describe how all particles interact.
article 'a' before abbreviation GUT
The search for a GUT is one of the biggest goals in modern physics.
Professor Chen drew a diagram of a GUT on the whiteboard for the graduate physics class.
professor explaining GUT in a classroom setting
Eric read about different GUT models in his physics textbook.
Experiments that test GUT predictions need enormous amounts of energy.
GUT + noun (predictions) as modifier
- GUT model
- GUT prediction
- search for a GUT
- test a GUT
- propose a GUT
- unified field theory
a broader concept that also aims to include gravity; GUT is one kind of unified theory
- grand unification theory
the full written-out form of the same abbreviation; interchangeable in meaning
Grammar Patterns
GUT + noun (model, prediction)
a/the GUT
Usage Note
Always written in capital letters (GUT) to distinguish it from the unrelated word 'gut' (stomach or instinct). In scientific writing, GUT is typically introduced with the full phrase 'grand unified theory' at first use and the abbreviation thereafter.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- gutsnoun (plural)B2
- gutsyadjectiveB2
- gutlessadjectiveC1
- guttedadjectiveB2
- guttingadjectiveC1
- gut-wrenchingadjectiveC1
- catgutnounC1
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/7
All four words describe the inner strength needed to face something difficult or frightening, but they differ in register, connotation, and typical use. 'Courage' is the most formal and general term — it suggests a noble, deliberate act of bravery in the face of danger or moral challenge ('She showed great courage by speaking out against the unfair rule'). 'Guts' is distinctly informal and forceful, implying raw, visceral bravery rather than thoughtful heroism ('It took real guts to quit a stable job and start her own business'). 'Nerve' is also informal but carries a slightly negative or defensive edge — it often describes boldness in social situations where others feel intimidated ('He had the nerve to argue with the professor in front of the whole class'). 'Backbone' is figurative and suggests moral firmness and the ability to stand one's ground under pressure ('The manager lacked the backbone to fire an underperforming employee'). In practice, 'guts' and 'courage' overlap most: you can often replace one with the other, but the former makes the speaker sound tougher and less formal.
Common collocations
Phrases
- hate someone's guts
- have the guts to do something
- go with your gut
- trust your gut
- listen to your gut
- gut feeling
- gut reaction
- gut instinct
- gut-wrenching experience
- bust a gut (doing something)
- spill your guts (to someone)
- sweat / slog your guts out
Prepositions
- of (the guts of the machine; the gut of the issue)
Etymology
The word 'gut' comes from Old English 'guttas' (plural), meaning 'intestines' or 'bowels'. It traces back to Proto-Germanic *gutaz, which is related to the verb *geutaną ('to pour') — the idea being that the intestines are the organs through which the body's contents 'pour out'. The same Germanic root gave Old Norse 'göt' (a strait or channel), which influenced the geographical sense of 'gut' as a narrow waterway. By the 1500s, the verb 'to gut' was being used for removing the internal organs of fish and animals before cooking. In the 1700s, the sense broadened to describe a building whose interior is destroyed by fire. The figurative meaning 'courage' (as in 'having the guts') emerged in the 1800s, while 'gut feeling' and 'gut instinct' date from the early 1900s, reflecting the common idea that the stomach is where emotional reactions are felt. The physics abbreviation GUT (Grand Unified Theory) was coined in the 1970s.