pusillanimous

来自拉丁语pusillis,非常弱小的，瘦弱的，来自pullus的不规则小词形式，词源同pullet,foal.-anim,呼吸，勇气，词源同animal.引申词义胆怯的。

pusillanimous

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.

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。

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.

3. And those old favorites, your friends and mine: sycophantic , phlegmatic , and, of course, top of the bill - pusillanimous.

而那些过去最受宠的人 —— 你我共同的朋友们,其中有拍马屁的, 冷漠的: 当然, 最招人注意的还有那些胆小怕事的.