timorous
1
8.6
- adjective
- /ˈtɪmərəs/
- Formal
:
tímido
- He was too timorous to speak up during the meeting, fearing negative feedback from his boss.
- a timorous man
Examples
-
The timorous child hesitated at the edge of the pool, nervous about jumping in.
-
Quit the timorous behavior and fight like your life depends on it.
Blog text (5) -
Now, I am not usually timorous or apprehensive.
Fiction book (1991) -
Little women, don't be timorous!
-
The beast studied my timorous approach while I studied the beast.
Fiction book (2001) -
For all her aggressive behavior, Rosina had a timorous streak in her personality.
Academic text (1996) -
When opportunity knocks, the wise will build bridges, while the timorous will build dams.
Academic text (2015) -
When she returned to the entryway, she found the casually dressed, rather timorous man examining the quilt.
Fiction book (1996) -
They left me behind, bowlegged, faded, and baggy-eyed with some conspicuous and timorous wrinkles.
Fiction book (1993) -
Despite her talent, she remained timorous in competitions, often shying away from the spotlight.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
Feeling fear or worry about something
∞
1.3
Feeling worried and easily frightened
201
2.7
Feeling worried or nervous about something that might happen
143
1.3
Feeling afraid or nervous and easily frightened
98
3.2
You feel worried and not relaxed
73
3.2
Slow to act or speak because you feel unsure
60
3.5
Shy and afraid to do new or risky things
9
4.0
Feeling embarrassed and a little shy because of a mistake
4
8.0
Shy and not confident about speaking or acting in front of others
3
6.8
Easily frightened and likely to avoid hard or scary things
2
9.9
Easily afraid and not willing to take risks
1
9.9
Feeling shy and unsure about what to do
1
4.0
Feeling unsure about yourself or your abilities
1
6.5
Feeling worried and tense before a difficult event
1
9.9
Feeling nervous and afraid to do something new
1
3.4
Slow to speak or act because unsure what to do
1
8.7
Moving quickly and lightly because it is nervous or easily startled
Not firm in what someone says and does
Feeling worried and unable to relax about small things
Antonyms
How Timid
Surface Forms
Morphology
timorous = timid (semi-transparent) = timor + ous
The adjective meaning matches the common English word 'timid' and the productive suffix '-ous', but the actual root is a Latin combining form (timor) and the form does not exactly match 'timid', so the relation is only partly transparent.
Etymology
Timorous comes from the Latin root timor meaning 'fear' and shares the same root as the common English word timid. So, a timorous person or action is full of fear, shy, or very nervous.