Pusillanimous Meaning, Pronunciation and Examples

Pusillanimous (adjective). lacking courage or determination in a way the speaker strongly disapproves of.

Example: In the fictional debate, the critic called the committee’s refusal to defend its decision pusillanimous.

Pronunciation guide: pyoo-suh-LAN-uh-muhs. Capital letters show the stressed syllable.

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Meaning and tone of pusillanimous

Pusillanimous is a formal, strongly critical word. It suggests that a person or action lacks the courage the speaker thinks the situation requires. It is not a neutral description of someone who is quiet, shy or careful.

You are more likely to encounter it in an opinion article, a political argument or literary criticism than in an everyday friendly conversation. Calling someone pusillanimous can sound insulting. Often it is more constructive to describe the action you disagree with: “The committee avoided taking responsibility.”

Pronunciation and related forms

Break the pronunciation into five parts: pyoo · suh · LAN · uh · muhs. Stress the third part. Some speakers use a z sound instead of the first s sound.

Pusillanimously is the adverb. It describes how someone acts: “The fictional character retreated pusillanimously when asked to explain his accusation.” The adjective describes the person or action: “The narrator describes his retreat as pusillanimous.”

Both versions communicate the narrator’s disapproval. They do not establish an objective diagnosis or explain why the character behaved that way.

Pusillanimous in sentences

• The editorial described the board’s response as pusillanimous.
• In the novel, the hero rejects what he sees as a pusillanimous compromise.
• Her opponent called the delay pusillanimous, but she argued that more evidence was needed.
• The reviewer criticised the fictional leader for responding pusillanimously to pressure.

The third example shows why context matters. One speaker’s accusation of cowardice may be another speaker’s reasonable caution. These sentences illustrate usage without asking you to agree with the judgment.

Origin and comparison with cautious

The word comes from Latin elements meaning small and spirit: pusillus and animus. That history helps explain its association with a lack of courage.

Cautious and wary can describe sensible attention to risk. Pusillanimous condemns what the speaker sees as insufficient courage. Waiting for a safety check is not automatically pusillanimous. Choose the word that matches both the action and the attitude you intend to express.

Practise pusillanimous: three quick questions

Try each question before opening its answer. If a question asks you to write a sentence, your own correct example is welcome.

Question 1

Is pusillanimous a neutral synonym for shy?

Question 2

Choose the correct form: “The narrator says the character acted ___.” Pusillanimous or pusillanimously?

Question 3

A driver checks the road before crossing. Is pusillanimous the most suitable word?

Keep learning

Compare these words next: Wary meaning and practice and Malfeasance meaning and practice.

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Dictionary reference: Merriam-Webster: Pusillanimous. The examples and practice questions on this page are written for English Skill Studio.