Dictionary.com

wuss

[ woos ]
/ wÊŠs /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for wuss on Thesaurus.com
noun Slang.
a weakling; wimp.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
who
whom
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT
Also wuss·y, wuss·ie .

Origin of wuss

First recorded in 1980–85; perhaps blend of wimp and puss1

OTHER WORDS FROM wuss

wuss·y, adjective, wuss·i·er, wuss·i·est.

Words nearby wuss

wurtzilite, wurtzite, Würzburg, wus, wu shu, wuss, wussy, Wutai Shan, wuther, wuthering, Wuthering Heights
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to wuss

whiner, wimp, coward, crybaby, pushover, chicken, dastard, nebbish, poltroon, quitter, recreant, weakling, bellyacher, complainer, critic, faultfinder, grumbler, sissy, softy, baby

How to use wuss in a sentence

  • "Wuss dan a strain," said Gravity, looking ruefully down at the limb and rubbing it with one hand.

    Wyoming|Edward Sylvester Ellis

  • "Wuss," he said as she entered, sitting up and treating her to a broad wink.

    Indian and Scout|F. S. Brereton

  • "Wuss nor rheumatiz," said the boy, as he threw away the cigar stub and drew some cider in a broken tea cup.

    Peck's Bad Boy and His Pa|George W. Peck

  • What he wanted to say, in the same arch manner was "Puss Wuss!"

    Tutors' Lane|Wilmarth Lewis

British Dictionary definitions for wuss

wuss

woose wussy (ˈwʊsɪ)

/ (wÊŠs) /
noun plural wusses or wussies
slang, mainly US a feeble or effeminate person

Word Origin for wuss

C20: perhaps from pussy 1 (cat)
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
FEEDBACK