cowboy up
Stop being soft
Cowboy up means to toughen up, stop complaining, and handle a difficult situation with grit—drawing on the image of rodeo cowboys who ride through pain and get back on after being thrown.
The team was down by ten, but the coach told them to cowboy up.
The phrase emerged from Western and rodeo culture but now appears in sports and everyday speech as a call to show resilience.
Become less easily hurt
- gritDetermination or abrasive particles
- endureSuffer through without yielding
- persevereContinue despite obstacles
- push throughContinue despite resistance
dig deep · hang tough · gut it out · suck it up · bear down · power through · soldier on · buck up
toughen up
Become less easily hurt
- gritDetermination or abrasive particles
- endureSuffer through without yielding
- persevereContinue despite obstacles
push through · dig deep · hang tough · gut it out · suck it up · bear down · power through · soldier on · buck up · man up
- Old Westcowboys, sheriff, sheriffs, marshal, marshals
- couragebravery, resilience, fearlessness, boldness, courage
cowboy upwimp out
Withdraw through cowardice
give up · fall apart · break down · crumble · cave in
cowboy, cow, boy, cows, boys, cowherd, cowgirl, boyish, boyhood