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build up courage
[bɪld ʌp ˈkɜrɪdʒ]
verb phrase
ganhar coragem
1.
to gradually increase one's bravery or confidence to do something difficult or frightening
She needed to build up courage before asking for a raise.
Ela precisava ganhar coragem antes de pedir um aumento.
2.
to strengthen one's resolve or determination through gradual effort
He built up courage over several months to finally confront his fear of heights.
Ele ganhou coragem ao longo de vários meses para finalmente enfrentar seu medo de alturas.
NYC Slang
get some guts
Synonyms
gather courage
pluck up courage
muster courage
summon courage
find courage
Antonyms
lose courage
lose nerve
back down
chicken out
Regional Variations
General Brazilian
ganhar coragem
most common expression in Brazilian Portuguese
Rio de Janeiro
juntar coragem
colloquial variant used in Rio
São Paulo
arrumar coragem
informal variant used in São Paulo
Portugal
ganhar coragem
standard expression in European Portuguese
Related Idioms & Phrases
take the bull by the horns
bite the bullet
steel oneself
work up the nerve
put one's foot down
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