Pusillanimous
hardNegative tonepyoo-suh-LAN-uh-mus
adjective
Definition
Lacking courage or resolution; cowardly
Memory hook
PUSILL-ANIMOUS: having a PUNY (pusillus) SPIRIT (animus) — cowardly and spineless.
Word roots
Learning roots unlocks whole word families. Study common GRE root words.
Examples
“The general's pusillanimous decision to retreat without fighting earned him the contempt of his soldiers.”
“His pusillanimous refusal to stand up for his beliefs made him lose the respect of his peers.”
Test yourself
Fill in the blank with the right word:
“The general's ______ decision to retreat without fighting earned him the contempt of his soldiers.”
Show answer
pusillanimous
Categories
GRE Tip
Pusillanimous is a hard-difficulty GRE word. On the GRE, you might see it paired with synonyms like "cowardly" or "timorous" in Sentence Equivalence questions. Look for contrast clues (however, despite, although) that signal the opposite meaning. Words like "courageous".
Related GRE Words
craven
contemptibly cowardly; lacking courage
abstemious
Moderate in eating and drinking; self-restrained
artless
free of guile or pretense; naturally simple and sincere
disinterested
free from bias or self-interest; impartial
ebullient
overflowing with enthusiasm and high spirits
mendacious
given to lying; dishonest
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