spineless

American  

[spahyn-lis] / ˈspaɪn lɪs /

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

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spineless British  

/ ˈspaɪnlɪs /

adjective

1. lacking a backbone; invertebrate

2. having no spiny processes

   spineless stems

3. lacking strength of character, resolution, or courage

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Other Word Forms

• spinelessly adverb
• spinelessness noun

Etymology

Origin of spineless

First recorded in 1820–30; spine + -less

Example Sentences

David Jones, president of the Institute of Construction Management, says the guidance for multi-storey residential buildings is "loose", "spineless" and "open to interpretation".

From BBC

"God help us! She is spineless, shameless and completely aimless," Badenoch told MPs.

From BBC

“The danger is clear,” Richardson said, calling the settlement a “spineless capitulation.”

From Los Angeles Times

He told us that he had learned his some of his colleagues were "spineless" and "treacherous".

From BBC

"Let the clumsy, the spineless, the alibi artists stand aside, a poor shot should be a shot irrevocably lost," he stated.

From BBC