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Synonyms

wuss

American  
[woos] / wʊs /
Also wussy,

noun

Slang.

  1. a weakling; wimp.

wuss British  
/ wʊs, ˈwʊsɪ /

noun

  1. slang a feeble or effeminate person

"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

Other Word Forms

  • wussy adjective

Etymology

Origin of wuss

First recorded in 1980–85; perhaps blend of wimp and puss 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Maybe you’re a fellow weather wuss or you had a pandemic baby who hasn’t seen much of the indoor world yet.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 18, 2023

When it comes to food, I am adventurous in my tastes, but I am a wuss about heat — a connoisseur of blandness.

From Washington Post • Jan. 19, 2021

For me, no sooner, I was a bit of a wuss.

From Slate • Jun. 8, 2018

I remember the dizziness, headaches, et. al. and being told to "get back in there" or I was some kind of wuss.

From New York Times • Feb. 2, 2018

Then I get really mad at myself for being such a wuss.

From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.