timorous

adjective

tim·​o·​rous ˈti-mə-rəs 

ˈtim-rəs

1

: of a timid disposition : fearful

reproached myself with being so timorous and cautious

—Daniel Defoe

2

: expressing or suggesting timidity

proceed with doubtful and timorous steps

—Edward Gibbon

timorously adverb

timorousness noun

Did you know?

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").

Synonyms

• fainthearted
• fearful
• fearsome
• mousy
• mousey
• scary
• shy
• skittish
• timid
• tremulous

Examples of timorous in a Sentence

a shy and timorous teenager

He spoke with a timorous voice.

Recent Examples on the Web

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

At the time Russia revealed their new new weapon, U.S. national security thinkers did an obligatory round of timorous handwringing, but, other than that, the U.S. was largely—and strangely—silent. —Craig Hooper, Forbes, 3 Aug. 2022

The hospital industry has been timorous about transparency since the first large-scale quality survey was conducted by the American College of Surgeons back in 1919. —Michael L. Millenson and J. Matthew Austin, STAT, 24 May 2022

Abetted by the timorous LeFou (a funny John Sygar), Gaston schemes to bend Belle to his will. —Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2021

All artists, even those who appear to be timorous, quavering messes, have a core of steel. —David Salle, The New York Review of Books, 17 Dec. 2020

Orange County’s chief health officer quit after receiving death threats and little backing from a timorous Board of Supervisors. —Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2021

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Medieval Latin timorosus, from Latin timor fear, from timēre to fear

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

timorous

adjective

tim·​o·​rous ˈtim-(ə-)rəs 

: easily frightened : fearful

timorously adverb

timorousness noun