Words / P / General

pusillanimous

adjective/ˌpjuːsɪˈlænɪməs/

C2CEFR level
92/100Rarity: very rare
FormalRegister

Showing a lack of courage; timid.

A pusillanimous board that never risked a bold decision.

Similar: cowardly, timid, faint-hearted

Origin: Latin pusillus 'very small' + animus 'mind'.

Topic: Mind & character in General English

Rarity runs from 0 (a word everyone knows) to 100 (almost never seen outside specialist or literary writing). Level is the word's real difficulty on the CEFR scale, from A1 to C2.

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More general words: Mind & character