Meaning
Drive, initiative, boldness, and common-sense get-up-and-go — the spirit to take action and push ahead. 'Him have gumption' praises someone with the nerve, resourcefulness, and initiative to make things happen and seize their chances, while a person 'widout gumption' is timid, passive, and lets life pass them by. In a culture that respects the hustler and the striver, gumption is a real virtue, naming the pluck and enterprise to get up, get on, and get things done rather than wait for the world to provide.
Examples
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She have di gumption fi start har own business.
She has the drive to start her own business.
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It tek gumption fi stand up fi yuhself.
It takes boldness to stand up for yourself.
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Him lack gumption, him jus a wait pon everybody.
He lacks initiative, he just waits on everyone.
Origin
From English/Scots 'gumption' (initiative, shrewdness); well used in Jamaica for drive and boldness.
How it’s used
Admiring — drive, nerve, initiative. Compare 'tallawah', 'big up yuh chest'.