pusillanimous
/ˌpjuːsɪlˈænɪməs/ adjective
- adjective Showing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible timidity. “The soldier deserted his troop in a pusillanimous manner.”
Synonyms
Etymology
Derived from Latin pusillanimis (“faint-hearted, timid”) + -ous.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Destitute of a manly or courageous strength and firmness of mind; of weak spirit; mean-spirited; spiritless; cowardly; --said of persons, as, a pussillanimous prince.
- adjective Evincing, or characterized by, weakness of mind, and want of courage; feeble; as, pusillanimous counsels. "A low and pusillanimous spirit." Burke.
Etymology [L. pusillannimis; pusillus very little (dim. of pusus a little boy; cf. puer a boy, E. puerile) + animus the mind: cf. F. pusillanime. See Animosity.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “pusillanimous”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details