spineless

[ spahyn-lis ]

adjective

1. having no spines or quills.
2. having no spine or backbone.
3. having a weak spine; limp.
4. without moral force, resolution, or courage; feeble:

   a spineless, lily-livered coward.

   Synonyms: indecisive, irresolute, weak

   Antonyms: resolute, strong

spineless

/ ˈspaɪnlɪs /

adjective

1. lacking a backbone; invertebrate
2. having no spiny processes

   spineless stems

3. lacking strength of character, resolution, or courage

Derived Forms

• ˈspinelessly, adverb
• ˈspinelessness, noun

Other Words From

• spineless·ly adverb
• spineless·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of spineless¹

First recorded in 1820–30; spine + -less

Example Sentences

In a December 2016 episode of his “Ring of Fire” radio show, unearthed by CNN’s KFile, Kennedy blasted Trump’s voters as “belligerent idiots” allied with “spineless fellow travelers.”

From Salon

There’s also the charming indecision, the earnest desire to weigh all options against each other and seeing every side so that the only logical conclusion is to be mired in a well-meaning state of paralysis — which, in another dialect, translates to spineless lack of resolve and commitment phobia.

From Los Angeles Times

This is weak and spineless behavior, but because it's cruel, it reads as "mighty" in the sadistic alternative universe of MAGA.

From Salon

Their revolting lack of ethics, their partisan partiality, and your spineless failure to reign them in suggest that under your watch, the rule of law has become illusory.

From Salon

But they and other invertebrates are the spineless backbones of ecosystems, playing critical roles as pollinators, predators, prey and decomposers.

From New York Times