What do you call a person who keeps on going despite setbacks? (in one word, a noun)

I'm looking for a word (a noun) to describe a person who faces the challenges of life (small and large) courageously despite the risk of failure. It would be nice if this noun does not necessarily imply that the person has experienced setbacks himself, rather that this wisdom of having courage could also have sprung out of reflection about possible risks. But that's just a bonus. I'll be using the word as the name for a character type in a game (other characters include saint and criminal), so it needs to be a single noun.

27.9k 23 23 gold badges 112 112 silver badges 187 187 bronze badges asked Dec 3, 2013 at 13:52 363 1 1 gold badge 6 6 silver badges 14 14 bronze badges resilient Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 15:29 Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 15:32

Oops didn't notice you wanted a noun. You should use the noun tag. In Australian English there is a perfect colloquial term, though it might not be much used these days, battler.

Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 16:00 Stubborn, muleheaded. Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 0:36 Steve Jobs (Not a single word though). Commented Dec 6, 2013 at 5:34

31 Answers 31

Off the top of my head:

136k 49 49 gold badges 373 373 silver badges 602 602 bronze badges answered Dec 3, 2013 at 14:11 419 3 3 silver badges 3 3 bronze badges I think trooper is the closest, least ambiguous of the words. Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 17:25 The Australian battler matches up nicely with this as does the verb phrase to soldier on. Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 5:06 +1 For trooper. I think that's exactly the right term. Commented Dec 6, 2013 at 19:35 Except that it's 'trouper' in this context: merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trouper Commented May 12, 2014 at 23:17

@JimMack I've never seen it spelled like that. Definition 3 of Trooper is Definition 2 of Trouper: a person who deals with and persists through difficulty or hardship without complaint

Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 23:24

This does imply resistance, and acting against that resistance.

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 15:17 11.3k 14 14 gold badges 59 59 silver badges 95 95 bronze badges

Same as for other comments: I forgot to mention that I need the word to be a noun. Thanks for trying to help though.

Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 15:21 @Bentley4 I don't quite follow what the problem with tenacious is. what's the ambiguity? Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 17:26

I need the word like in the context of a game. There are different characters e.g. a saint, a criminal, . . But tenacious doesn't fit. You'd have to say a tenacious person. And that's not one word.

Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 22:05 Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 15:56 Tenacious D is a noun, if that helps. ;) Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 19:22

If your main criteria is for a word to sound like a person's name, you probably don't want to go for Indefatigability.

Instead, I'd suggest, "Stalwart":

noun
1. one who has a strong build
2. one who firmly supports a cause
"the stalwarts of the Labour Party"

answered Dec 4, 2013 at 5:13 ChrisGuest ChrisGuest 481 1 1 gold badge 6 6 silver badges 11 11 bronze badges

+1, But the definition from MW more clearly supports this meaning: marked by outstanding strength and vigor of body, mind, or spirit

Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 23:25

Perhaps striver. This reference defines strive as

  1. to exert oneself vigorously; try hard: He strove to make himself understood.
  2. to make strenuous efforts toward any goal: to strive for success.
  3. to contend in opposition, battle, or any conflict; compete.
  4. to struggle vigorously, as in opposition or resistance: to strive against fate.
answered Dec 3, 2013 at 14:54 72.9k 13 13 gold badges 119 119 silver badges 226 226 bronze badges

The word 'strever'(the equivalent of 'striver' in dutch) has a distinct negative connotation. It's a person who tries really hard in terms of having good grades as a compensation for lack of social skills. That's actually not a bad thing imo but it's used by people (usually teens) who try to lower the social status of socially inept people because they don't behave as they wish they'd do (because they cannot attain high grades themselves or are not 'headstrong' enough. similar to women of higer social status in a small social group calling the other 'slut'.)

Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 15:06

So because the word is not commonly used in the English language and could be interpreted negatively by people with a dutch background I prefer not to use it.

Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 15:08

+1, this might be less common than some other options, but that might be an advantage as a name of a character type

Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 23:27

Did you consider a persevering or persisting person?

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 15:06 286 1 1 silver badge 6 6 bronze badges

Nice, but I need it in one word and it should not be able to be interpreted differently then a noun without context.

Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 15:15
  1. A person who continues to function or prosper in spite of opposition, hardship, or setbacks.

Unrelated, but the first definition from the link - really? In High School my English teacher would have been up in arms - "You can't use a word to define the word!"

37.5k 6 6 gold badges 59 59 silver badges 165 165 bronze badges answered Dec 3, 2013 at 17:12 Question3CPO Question3CPO 141 2 2 bronze badges

"You can't use a word to define the word!" ? The first definition you linked does not use survivor , it uses survive which itself is not defined in terms of the word survivor , so there's no infinite recursion there. Actually the = thing/person that pattern for definitions is really common in most languages.

Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 7:08

(adj) - impossible to subdue or defeat. - (Source: Google)

8,638 6 6 gold badges 43 43 silver badges 75 75 bronze badges answered Dec 4, 2013 at 13:12 Paul Osborne Paul Osborne 141 1 1 bronze badge

What about something like:

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 17:26 461 2 2 silver badges 9 9 bronze badges

A champion is someone who fights for someone or something besides themselves, which is something not specified by OP's request.

Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 0:29 +1 for hero. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero: "1. d) one who shows great courage" Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 0:36 Not sure of Champion but he seems like a Hero..hence +1 Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 6:11

I'm looking for a word (a noun) to describe a person who faces the challenges of life (small and large) courageously despite the risk of failure.

For example, someone trying to reconcile with their estranged wife while at the same time outsmarting a gang of faux-German terrorist thieves? Such a person is a "diehard". (Though this can imply also that they are a conservative person who clings to the past.)

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 18:56 Eric Lippert Eric Lippert 1,503 8 8 silver badges 12 12 bronze badges +1 for 'most likely to cause a game developer to get a cease-and-desist letter' Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 13:39

adjective
energetically wilful and determined:
the headstrong impulsiveness of youth

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 14:29 14.3k 14 14 gold badges 64 64 silver badges 103 103 bronze badges

I like this but I don't like to use a word that could be read as both noun and adjective. I want it to clear without context that it is a noun.

Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 14:33 I understand. If you are happy to use multiple words you could say he is a "headstrong individual". Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 14:35

Overcomer

someone who overcomes challenges/hardship

You're an overcomer
Stay in the fight ‘til the final round
You're not going under

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 23:00 Mario Elocio Mario Elocio 2,197 17 17 silver badges 12 12 bronze badges answered Dec 4, 2013 at 5:12 121 3 3 bronze badges

Now that I know your restrictions, I think I have the right word.

Desperado

Spain created the Camino Real from Mexico to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1598. Camino Real literally means “Royal Road”. As such the road is protected by garrisons at intervals along the road. Spanish law levied a toll to travelers on the Camino Real in order to pay for these soldiers. The soldiers would stop the travelers and demand the toll be paid for them to continue on. In spanish “to stop” is “parar”. And as above “desparado” is a person that was not stopped. According to their oral history, the term desparado, described travelers that did not want to pay a toll and circled, off the road, around the military posts. The term became associated with “scofflaws”, people that openly disrespect the law. When the Americans immigrated into the area they modified the language of the region to suite. Words like “la reata” in Spanish became “lariat” and desparado became desperado. *

It doesn't match your required definition strictly, but carries a certain romantic flair that pretty much suggests what you required.

answered Dec 4, 2013 at 9:30 11.3k 14 14 gold badges 59 59 silver badges 95 95 bronze badges

+1 could work very well for a game character/archetype depending on the setting and flavor of the game.

Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 17:12

I would call him the brave, the invincible, the unyielding, the unflinching.

If a single word is required, I might call him a braver, or a valiant.

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 14:24 Damkerng T. Damkerng T. 1,743 5 5 gold badges 22 22 silver badges 38 38 bronze badges Unyielding and brave are nice but can be read as non-nouns if used without context or article. Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 14:44

The brave one might fit, but it's not one word. Hmm. Actually, the braver is a word, meaning a brave person. Might be what you're looking for.

Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 14:47

"a braver" and "a valiant" are not words that will be readily understood by most English speakers. "The braver" is a valid construction, but it implies a comparison to some one other person, the one s/he is braver than.

Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 0:27

Unflappable, Indomitable, possibly indefatigable. My concern with the last one is that it's rarely used and that the ignorant would assume it meant something completely different.

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 15:24 Dan Is Fiddling By Firelight Dan Is Fiddling By Firelight 787 6 6 silver badges 15 15 bronze badges These are all quite good but for some reason the OP wants a noun and these are adjectives. Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 17:14

Tough and/or hardy could work for you.

Both of these words have noun forms that you could use if you wanted to.

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 18:15 1,581 10 10 silver badges 18 18 bronze badges What would you suggest as the noun forms? Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 19:16 @PatJ Toughness and hardiness. Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 19:27

It's not simply a noun, it's a noun that denotes a type of person(e.g. a saint) (see the original post). Toughness and hardiness are characteristics.

Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 19:34 @Bentley4 Tough is also a noun: a tough and violent person Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 23:29

I was thinking bulldog, but when looking in the dictionary at the word, I see that more appropriately, it's bulldogger. Per dictionary.reference.com:

136k 49 49 gold badges 373 373 silver badges 602 602 bronze badges answered Dec 4, 2013 at 13:12 Joseph Gabriel Joseph Gabriel 141 2 2 bronze badges

I suggest Obstinate. Seems to fit the description.

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 15:11 Emilio M Bumachar Emilio M Bumachar 153 3 3 bronze badges But that's not a noun unfortunately. Or at least it can be read as something different then a noun. Commented Dec 3, 2013 at 15:14

Depending on the theme of these setbacks, you could call such a person a dreadnought/dreadnaught, meaning a person who fears nothing. It does not necessarily imply being irrationally overconfident or ignorant of risks, but rather someone who is dauntless in the face of overwhelming challenge.

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 19:25 491 2 2 silver badges 8 8 bronze badges

In a game context, perhaps

this suggestion does not seem to fit the requirements of a game setting

Resoluteness - "the trait of being resolute"

Which is to say, the person would be "admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering."

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 23:15 208 2 2 silver badges 9 9 bronze badges

A person who doesn't sit back when the going gets tough but battles on. A person who in the face of adversity stands tall; equipped with tenacity and wisdom strives to overcome the obstacles of everyday life. A person for whom obstinacy is a virtue.

A noun to describe this hero?

There's only one type of person who fits that criteria and that's a mother.

answered Dec 3, 2013 at 21:42 92.3k 92 92 gold badges 323 323 silver badges 589 589 bronze badges "A noun to describe this? 'Hero'." Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 0:41

@Ergwun I disagree, mothers are very often silent heroes (or heroines) who deserve more credit than they get. Pat J supplied "hero" as an answer, you should upvote his post! :) Ahh, I see you have. Good.

Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 0:48

I'm not criticizing your praise for mothers. I just don't think that "mother" is the right answer for this question, and was trying to point out that I think you hit the best answer in your penultimate sentence.

Commented Dec 4, 2013 at 1:56

There are all kinds of people who fit the OP's description that aren't mothers. Suggesting that as the appropriate word seems absurd, unless perhaps you're intending the vulgar usage, which might make some kind of sense.

Commented Oct 8, 2015 at 23:31

Someone who persists in the face of any and all possible setbacks (short of the cessation of his life) is a plain "madman". Or a "robot", or a "machine".

(Someone who persists in the face of any and all possible setbacks *including* his death is a fictional figure such as a zombie or ghost.)

I think the other answers deal with normal individuals who do have some upper bound on their perseverance, and therefore do not keep going despite setbacks, only despite some setbacks.

Of course, everyone keeps going despite some setbacks.

Those who are fighters, steadfast, and so on (any admirable names for those who display courage, persistence and fortitude), keep going despite setbacks that would stop most people, but do not keep going in the face of all possible setbacks.

Someone who goes irrationally in the face of setbacks is a "fool", or "gambler". (Perhaps literally a gambler: a gambler regards losses to be temporary setbacks on his or her way to regaining a lucky streak, and keeps on gambling.)

Someone who keeps going in the feeding of a self-destructive habit, in spite of severe setbacks, is an "addict". The slang term "[X] junkie" is someone addicted to [X], whatever [X] is.

If it is not so self-destructive, perhaps "maniac" or "bum". For instance a "ski bum" keeps going to the slopes in spite of setbacks like not being able to maintain a regular job. "X bum" for any X means someone who persists in doing only X, and is not detracted by taking showers, grooming, or holding down a job.

Someone who persistently persists in some beliefs in spite of setbacks such as the consequences that come with alienating other people, is a "lunatic", "crackpot" or "X freak" for some X, for instance "religious freak".

Someone who chronically persists in living off others in spite of setbacks is a "parasite" or "moocher".

Someone who persists in annoying others in spite of setbacks, such as having numerous online accounts closed, or being evicted from apartment to apartment, is a "sociopath". Online he or she may be a "troll" or "spammer".

All of these people regard themselves as overcoming "challenges of life". The addict's challenges of life are where the next "hit" comes from. The gambler's challenges of life are swings between losses and wins, and the ensuing emotions, and so forth.