Meaning & use
pusillanimous
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Showing a lack of courage or determination; cowardly, especially when facing danger or difficulty.
Grammar: Usually attributive before a noun; everyday speech prefers “cowardly” or “spineless.”
Patterns
- pusillanimous behavior
- a pusillanimous decision
- pusillanimous refusal
The report criticized the board's pusillanimous response to the crisis.
He made a pusillanimous excuse instead of admitting his mistake.
Calling the plan pusillanimous, she demanded a bolder strategy.
Common combinations
- pusillanimous conduct
- The committee condemned the firm's pusillanimous conduct during the safety review.
- pusillanimous surrender
- Critics described the apology as a pusillanimous surrender to pressure.
- pusillanimous excuse
- She refused to accept such a pusillanimous excuse for missing the deadline.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cowardly
- Cowardly is the everyday word for lacking courage; pusillanimous is much more formal and literary.
- spineless
- Spineless stresses weak refusal to stand up for oneself; it is informal and strongly disapproving.
- timid
- Timid is milder and can mean shy or cautious, not necessarily shamefully cowardly.
Opposites
Word family
- pusillanimity noun
- The quality of being cowardly or lacking determination.
Commonly confused: pusillanimous or pugnacious?
pusillanimous vs pugnacious
Pugnacious means eager to argue or fight, almost the opposite in tone despite a similar spelling start.
Practice
Which sentence uses “pusillanimous” naturally?
Choose one answer.
Pusillanimous describes cowardly or weak-willed conduct, so it fits an evasive reply. The other options attach it to laughter, food, or winning, where the meaning does not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pusillanimous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.