false bravery
Courage that's faked
False bravery is courage that's performed rather than felt—a show of fearlessness masking genuine fear or uncertainty.
Someone displaying false bravery might volunteer for danger to impress others or refuse help they desperately need: His false bravery crumbled the moment the lights went out.
The term implies self-deception as much as deception of others.
- blusterLoud, empty boasting
- liquid courageAlcohol-fueled confidence
- swaggerConfident, boastful manner
- cowardiceAbsence of bravery
- facadeDeceptive outward appearance
posturing · big talk · pretense · bluff · hubris · machismo · boasting · hollow · mask · front · puffery · showmanship · cockiness · chest puffing · audacity · recklessness · feigned · empty
false braverymoral courage
Strength to act ethically
inner strength · grace under pressure · true grit · courage under fire
false, falsely, falseness, falsity, falsify, falsification, falsified, falsifier, brave