noun

gut

guht

noun

The stomach and intestines; someone's digestive system.

"Spicy food never agrees with my gut."

"The parasite lives in the gut of its host."

A person's belly, especially a large or protruding one.

"Years of beer and takeaways had given him quite a gut."

A person's instinctive, emotional reaction, as opposed to logical thought.

"Something in my gut told me not to trust him."

verb

To remove the internal organs of an animal, especially a fish, before cooking it.

"The fisherman gutted the trout right there on the dock."

To destroy the inside or most important parts of something.

"The fire gutted the old warehouse, leaving only the outer walls."

"The new policy gutted funding for the arts programme."

How to Use Gut

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe stomach/intestines, a bulging belly, or — figuratively — instinct and the emotional core of a decision.

Common mistake

"Gut feeling" and "gut instinct" describe an intuitive sense, not something based on evidence — don't use it to mean a reasoned conclusion.

Common pairings

gut feeling gut instinct gut a fish gut the building

more gut comparative, gutted past tense, guts plural, Guts plural, guts singular, most gut superlative

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Spicy food never agrees with my _____.

From Old English gutt ("entrails"), going back to a very old root meaning "to pour" — the same idea behind the word "gutter".