English Explanatory Dictionary

timorous

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Tending to be easily frightened; shy, timid.
  2. Feeling fear; afraid, fearful, frightened.
  3. Fastidious in dressing.
  4. Fired with intense feeling; passionate.
  5. Hard to manage; difficult, tiresome.
  6. Causing dread or fear; dreadful, terrible.
  7. Humble, modest; also, showing reverence; respectful, reverent, reverential.

Pronunciation

/ˈtɪməɹəs/ /ˈtɪmɹəs/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-timorous.wav

Word forms

timorous more timorous most timorous timerous timourous

Etymology

From Late Middle English timorous (“(adjective) fearful, frightened; causing fear, dreadful, terrible; deferential, modest; (noun) timid people collectively”), borrowed from Old French temoros, temorous, from Medieval Latin timōrōsus, from timōr- (the stem of Latin timor (“dread, fear”)) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of; prone to’). Timor is derived from timeō (“to be afraid of, fear”) (further origin uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *temH- (“dark”)) + -or (suffix forming third-declension masculine abstract nouns). Doublet of timoroso.

Synonyms

timorsome apprehensive afeared afraid alarmed anxious chicken concerned creeped out fearful frightened frit horrified mortified panicked scared shocked startled terrified timorous worried wary

Antonyms

adventurous mettlesome aweless bad bold brass-balled chivalrous courageous daredevil daring dauntless doughty fearless fortitudinous gallant gutsy heroic intrepid lionhearted orped plucky stalwart stalworth stouthearted unafraid undaunted valiant valorous venturesome brave temerarious untimorous unruffled unterrified

Related words

timorsome

Derived words

overtimorous timorously timorousness timorous schizotypal
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