pusillanimous: [16] Pusillanimous means etymologically ‘tiny-spirited’. It comes from late Latin pūsillanimis, a compound adjective formed from pūsillus ‘very small or weak’ (a descendant of the same base as produced Latin puer ‘child, boy’, source of English puerile) and animus ‘mind, spirit’ (source of English animate). => animal, animate, puerile
pusillanimous (adj.)
early 15c., from Late Latin pusillanimis "having little courage" (used in Church Latin to translate Greek oligopsychos "small-souled"), from Latin pusillis "very weak, little" (diminutive of pullus "young animal;" see foal (n.)) + animus "spirit, courage" (see animus). Related: Pusillanimously; pusillanimousness.
实用例句
1. The authorities have been too pusillanimous in merely condemning the violence.
当局对暴行只是进行了谴责，真是太胆小怕事了。
来自辞典例句
2. The pusillanimous man would not defend his own family.
软弱无力的人不会保卫他自己的家.
来自互联网
3. And those old favorites, your friends and mine: sycophantic , phlegmatic , and, of course, top of the bill - pusillanimous.
