pusillanimous
/ˌpjuːsɪlˈænɪməs/
"pusillanimous" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“pusillanimous” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Showing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible timidity.
Corpus desk
Index EN-pusillanimous · pusillanimous · English
pusillanimous · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 13 letters
- VOW-6 6 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "P" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | pusillanimous |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Adjective |
| IPA | /ˌpjuːsɪlˈænɪməs/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “pusillanimous” in English
Rare enough to double-check
pusillanimous is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ˌpjuːsɪlˈænɪməs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Showing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible timidity.".
pusillanimous doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Derived from Latin pusillanimis (“faint-hearted, timid”) + -ous. The correct English form is pusillanimous, spelled P-U-S-I-L-L-A-N-I-M-O-U-S.
Definition
- 1Showing ignoble cowardice, or contemptible timidity.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how pusillanimous appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
The soldier deserted his troop in a pusillanimous manner.
Therefore, the wise thing is for us diligently to train ourselves to lie thoughtfully, judiciously; to lie with a good object, and not an evil one; to lie for others' advantage, and not our own; to lie healingly, charitably, humanely, not cruelly, hurtfully, maliciously; to lie gracefully and graciously, not awkwardly and clumsily; to lie firmly, frankly,…
Etymology
Derived from Latin pusillanimis (“faint-hearted, timid”) + -ous.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.