pusillanimous

[ pyoo-suh-lan-uh-muhs ]
See synonyms for pusillanimous on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.

  2. proceeding from or indicating a cowardly spirit.

Origin of pusillanimous

1
1580–90; <Late Latin pusillanimis petty-spirited, equivalent to Latin pusill(us) very small, petty + -anim(is) -spirited, -minded (anim(us) spirit + -is adj. suffix); see -ous

Other words for pusillanimous

Other words from pusillanimous

  • pu·sil·lan·i·mous·ly, adverb

Words Nearby pusillanimous

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use pusillanimous in a sentence

  • As if the miserable, pusillanimous reprobates did not know it as well as you!

    Clemence | Retta Babcock
  • He had always been more or less pusillanimous in the face of winter.

    The Courage of Marge O'Doone | James Oliver Curwood

British Dictionary definitions for pusillanimous

pusillanimous

/ (ˌpjuːsɪˈlænɪməs) /


adjective
  1. characterized by a lack of courage or determination

Origin of pusillanimous

1
C16: from Late Latin pusillanimis from Latin pusillus weak + animus courage

Derived forms of pusillanimous

  • pusillanimity (ˌpjuːsɪləˈnɪmɪtɪ), noun
  • pusillanimously, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012