timorous
adjective
Daniel DefoeEdward Gibbon
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Timid and timorous don't just have similar spellings and meanings; they are etymologically related as well. Both words ultimately derive from the Latin verb timēre, meaning "to fear." The immediate ancestor of timid is Latin timidus (with the same meaning as timid), whereas timorous traveled to Middle English by way of the Latin noun timor ("fear") and the Medieval Latin adjective timorosus. Timid may be the more common of the two words, but timorous is older. It first appeared in English in the mid-15th century; timid came on the scene a century later. Both words can mean "easily frightened" (as in "a timid mouse" or "a timorous child") as well as "indicating or characterized by fear" (as in "he gave a timid smile" or "she took a timorous step forward").
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Examples of timorous in a Sentence
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
For years now, U.S. policy toward Syria has been indecisive and timorous, allowing pro-Assad forces to gain ground.
—Steven A. Cook, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2016
Diaz is plucky and determined in ways that the more timorous guys can’t quite muster.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Democratic moderates are often portrayed by the left as timorous figures reluctant to take strong stands for fear of political retribution.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 3 Aug. 2022
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Dictionary Entries Near timorous
Cite this Entry
“Timorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/timorous. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
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timorous
adjective
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