First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
pusillanimous
adjective pu·sil·lan·i·mous \-ˈla-nə-məs\
: weak and afraid of danger
Full Definition of PUSILLANIMOUS
: lacking courage and resolution : marked by contemptible timidity
— pu·sil·lan·i·mous·ly adverb
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Origin of PUSILLANIMOUS
Related to PUSILLANIMOUS
- Synonyms
- chicken, chickenhearted, chicken-livered, craven, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered [archaic], poltroon, cowardly, recreant, spineless, unheroic, yellow
- Antonyms
- brave, courageous, daring, dauntless, doughty, fearless, gallant, greathearted, gutsy, hardy, heroic (also heroical), intrepid, lionhearted, stalwart, stout, stouthearted, valiant, valorous
Synonym Discussion of PUSILLANIMOUS
cowardly, pusillanimous, craven, dastardly mean having or showing a lack of courage. cowardly implies a weak or ignoble lack of courage <a cowardly failure to stand up for principle>. pusillanimous suggests a contemptible lack of courage <the pusillanimous fear of a future full of possibility>. craven suggests extreme defeatism and complete lack of resistance <secretly despised her own craven yes-men>. dastardly often implies behavior that is both cowardly and treacherous or skulking or outrageous <a dastardly attack on unarmed civilians>.
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