pusillanimity

[pyoo-suh-luh-nim-i-tee]

See more synonyms for pusillanimity on Thesaurus.com

noun

the state or condition of being pusillanimous; timidity; cowardliness.

Origin of pusillanimity

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Late Latin word pusillanimitās. See pusillanimous, -ity

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for pusillanimity

cowardliness, fear, cravenness, fearfulness, funk, wimpiness

Examples from the Web for pusillanimity

Contemporary Examples of pusillanimity

Once again, Republican pusillanimity in the face of gun fanaticism threatens to gut sane gun legislation in Congress.
Pro-Gun Absolutism: The Gun Lobby’s Push to Privatize Law and Order
Will Marshall
April 9, 2013

Historical Examples of pusillanimity

Everybody condemned their pusillanimity in making off without a fight.
The Story of the Malakand Field Force
Sir Winston S. Churchill
The pair in the malthouse might have eluded all search but for the steward's pusillanimity.
The Historical Nights' Entertainment
Rafael Sabatini
He had been able to compare the energy of Fabian with the pusillanimity of the Senator Tragaduros.
Wood Rangers
Mayne Reid
Indignant at their pusillanimity, he then escaped to Versailles.
The Parisians, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton
They upbraided their commander with pusillanimity, and even treachery.
Great Events in the History of North and South America
Charles A. Goodrich

Word Origin and History for pusillanimity

late 14c., from Middle French pusillanimité (14c.), from Church Latin pusillanimitatem (nominative pusillanimitas) "faintheartedness," from Latin pusillanimis "fainthearted, having little courage" (see pusillanimous).