From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishpluck up (the) courage (to do something)pluck up (the) courage (to do something)BRAVEto force yourself to be brave and do something you are afraid of doing He finally plucked up enough courage to ask her out. → pluck
Examples from the Corpus
pluck up (the) courage (to do something)• Eventually I plucked up courage and booked a ticket to Amsterdam with the sole purpose of getting laid.• Nelly begged me not to leave her, and plucking up courage I stayed.• Kent suspected that if the fellow ever did pluck up courage to call he would be disappointed.• On three occasions he had plucked up the courage to call her, but had never had a reply.• But why not pluck up the courage to do what you've always wanted?• I think you should pluck up the courage to invite him out.• But eventually, he plucked up courage to see a solicitor.• After a while, too, some of the more literary residents of Princeton plucked up the courage to speak to him. 