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spineless

[ spahyn-lis ]
/ ˈspaɪn lɪs /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR spineless ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having no spines or quills.
having no spine or backbone.
having a weak spine; limp.
without moral force, resolution, or courage; feeble: a spineless, lily-livered coward.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!
Question 1 of 10
Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.
Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.
It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of spineless

First recorded in 1820–30; spine + -less

OTHER WORDS FROM spineless

spine·less·ly, adverbspine·less·ness, noun

Words nearby spineless

spine-chilling, spine-tingling, spinebash, spinel, spinel ruby, spineless, spinescent, spinet, spingarn, spiniferous, spinifex
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to spineless

invertebrate, fearful, feeble, frightened, gutless, impotent, inadequate, ineffective, ineffectual, irresolute, lily-livered, nerveless, soft, spiritless, squeamish, submissive, timid, vacillating, weak, weak-willed

Example sentences from the Web for spineless

British Dictionary definitions for spineless

spineless
/ (ˈspaɪnlɪs) /

adjective

lacking a backbone; invertebrate
having no spiny processesspineless stems
lacking strength of character, resolution, or courage

Derived forms of spineless

spinelessly, adverbspinelessness, noun
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