Meaning & use
pusillanimity
Last updated
A lack of courage or determination; timidity that leads someone to avoid difficulty or risk.
See it in a sentence
His pusillanimity kept him from ever confronting his boss about the unfair schedule.
Critics accused the senator of pusillanimity for refusing to take a clear stand.
A note on using this word
Pusillanimity is a formal, literary word; in everyday speech, people usually just say 'cowardice' or 'timidity.'
Words with a similar meaning
cowardicetimidity
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
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