Fortitude is the courage to keep going when things get really hard. It's the strength to endure difficulty over time without giving up, even when quitting would be easier.

When a runner's legs burn with exhaustion in the final mile of a race but she pushes through to the finish line, that's fortitude. When a student struggles with fractions for weeks, feels frustrated, but keeps practicing until it finally clicks, that's fortitude too. The word describes a special kind of toughness: the ability to face pain, hardship, or discouragement and refuse to quit.

Fortitude matters most during those times when quitting would be easier than continuing. A mountain climber shows fortitude by pressing on through thin air and freezing temperatures. A family demonstrates fortitude by sticking together through difficult times. Scientists working for years on a problem without success need fortitude to continue their research.

Fortitude isn't about never feeling tired, scared, or discouraged. It's about feeling those things and carrying on anyway. When someone shows fortitude, they prove that persistence and inner strength can overcome obstacles that seemed impossible.