mettlesome /ˈmɛtəlsəm/ adjective1 •Marked by mettle or bravery; courageous.The instant Haley touched the saddle, the mettlesome creature bounded from the earth with a sudden spring, that threw his master sprawling, some feet off, on the soft, dry turf. — 1852 formsmore mettlesome · most mettlesome