wuss

/wʊs/

//wʊs// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"wuss" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“wuss” is an uncommon English word, ranked #53,959 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#53,959
frequency rank, English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A weak, ineffectual, cowardly, or timid person.

Key facts for wuss
PropertyValue
Headwordwuss
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/wʊs/
Letters4
Frequency rank#53,959
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “wuss” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). wuss lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for wuss is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /wʊs/. Corpus data places it at rank #53,959 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A weak, ineffectual, cowardly, or timid person.".

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for wuss, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: 1976–1981 in US college slang. Perhaps abbreviated from wussy, or blend of wimp and puss. Compare earlier wussy. The correct English form is wuss, spelled W-U-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A weak, ineffectual, cowardly, or timid person.

Etymology

1976–1981 in US college slang. Perhaps abbreviated from wussy, or blend of wimp and puss. Compare earlier wussy.

Synonyms

pansypushoverweaklingwimppusspussymilksopcoward

This word in other languages

calzonazos(Español)chochotte(Français)Weichei(Deutsch)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "wuss"?
"wuss" is spelled W-U-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /wʊs/.
What does "wuss" mean?
As a noun, "wuss" means: A weak, ineffectual, cowardly, or timid person.
How do you pronounce "wuss"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "wuss" is /wʊs/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "wuss"?
1976–1981 in US college slang. Perhaps abbreviated from wussy, or blend of wimp and puss. Compare earlier wussy. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “wuss”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is W-U-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /wʊs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list