pusillanimous
[pyoo-suh-lan-uh-muhs]
adjective
lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.
proceeding from or indicating a cowardly spirit.
Origin of pusillanimous
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
Synonyms for pusillanimous
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for pusillanimous
Contemporary Examples of pusillanimous
But on this issue of Haredi service his pusillanimous silence has been disappointing and self-defeating.
Historical Examples of pusillanimous
It is a pusillanimous desertion of our work to gaze after our neighbors.
Essays, First SeriesRalph Waldo Emerson
Catharine was glad to have the pusillanimous Charles out of the way.
Henry IV, Makers of HistoryJohn S. C. Abbott
A blind faith is only one remove from a pusillanimous skepticism.
Christianity and Greek PhilosophyBenjamin Franklin Cocker
He was of a mean appearance, and, like his father, pusillanimous to a degree.
The Romany RyeGeorge Borrow
The senators seemed to take a pleasure in pusillanimous adulation.
Darkness and DawnFrederic W. Farrar
pusillanimous
adjective
Word Origin for pusillanimous
C16: from Late Latin pusillanimis from Latin pusillus weak + animus courage
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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