Pusillanimous

//ˌpjuːsɪlˈænɪməs// adj

adj ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Showing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible timidity.

    "The soldier deserted his troop in a pusillanimous manner."

Adjective
  1. 1
    lacking in courage and manly strength and resolution; contemptibly fearful wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
afraidbasebonelesschickenchickenchicken-hearted

Example

More examples

"The soldier deserted his troop in a pusillanimous manner."

Etymology

Derived from Latin pusillanimis (“faint-hearted, timid”) + -ous.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.