Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

pusillanimity

/pjuːsɪləˈnɪmɪti/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.09 in modern English

Syllables
pusil-la-nim-i-ty
IPA
/pjuːsɪləˈnɪmɪti/
20
Scrabble Score
13
Letters
5
Syllables
10
Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

The quality or state of being pusillanimous; the vice of being timid and cowardly, and thus not living up to one's full potential; pusillanimousness.

Countable; Uncountable

Example Sentences

Etymology

From pusillanim(ous) + -ity, from Middle French pusillanimité, from the ecclesiastical Latin pusillanimis, from pusillus (puny) + animus (spirit) + -ous. A translation of the Greek ὀλιγόψυχος (oligópsukhos, “faint-hearted”).

Word Breakdown

Usage

Inflected Forms

Phrases

Frequently Paired Words

Synonyms

Questions

How do you pronounce pusillanimity?
The recorded pronunciation is /pjuːsɪləˈnɪmɪti/.
What does pusillanimity mean?
The quality or state of being pusillanimous; the vice of being timid and cowardly, and thus not living up to one's full potential; pusillanimousness.
Where does pusillanimity come from?
From pusillanim(ous) + -ity, from Middle French pusillanimité, from the ecclesiastical Latin pusillanimis, from pusillus (puny) + animus (spirit) + -ous. A translation of the Greek ὀλιγόψυχος (oligópsukhos, “faint-hearted”).

How to pronounce pusillanimity

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “pusillanimity”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/pjuːsɪləˈnɪmɪti/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “pusillanimity”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “pusillanimity” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.