Wussy

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈwʊsi/

Definitions

1. A person who exhibits cowardice or fragile sensibilities An individual seen as lacking guts or emotional toughness Someone who is often perceived as weak or excessively fearful in nature
2. Someone who shows a lack of courage or bravery and tends to avoid challenges
3. An individual characterized by timidity and a tendency to shy away from confrontation or risk

Etymology: The word "wussy" is a 1960s American slang term for a timid, feeble person, and its origin is tangled. The most likely source is "pussy," used in the sense of a weak or cowardly man, which dates back to the same informal vocabulary. Some etymologists suggest "wussy" is a blend of "wimp" and "pussy," fusing two words for a weakling into one. Another possibility is a reduplicated form: "pussy-wussy," a playful doubling in which the first half is dropped and the second survives on its own. The relationship between "wussy" and "wuss" matters here. "Wuss" is the later and more common form, and it is generally treated as a clipped descendant of "wussy," so the two words share the same roots and the same contempt for cowardice. Because "pussy" carried sexual connotations in other senses, the cowardly sense of the family of words remained decidedly informal.

Synonyms: coward, weakling, softie, sissy, faint-hearted

Antonyms: brave, courageous, strong, fearless, bold