timorous

adjective tim·o·rous \ ˈti-mə-rəs , ˈtim-rəs \

Definition of timorous

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

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timorously

adverb

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timorousness

noun

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Examples of timorous in a Sentence

a shy and timorous teenager
He spoke with a timorous voice.

Recent Examples of timorous from the Web

Yet despite her commitment to the role — and the generally fine supporting performances — this timorous tale sidesteps uncomfortable realities in favor of soothing whimsy and preordained uplift.

— jeannette catsoulis, New York Times, "Review: Boldly Going Toward Independence in ‘Please Stand By’," 25 Jan. 2018
Where the smaller, plainer red-brown hens were predictable in their behavior, usually timorous and boring, Mr. Rooster was unpredictable and anything but boring.

— joyce carol oates, New York Times, "The Rooster Attacked Me — and Yet I Loved Him," 17 May 2017
In the shoot-out, Bravo dived to his right to stop weak penalty kicks by both Quaresma and Joao Moutinho, then switched sides to save Nani’s timorous shot.

— tales azzoni, The Seattle Times, "Chile crush Portugal on penalties to reach Confed Cup final," 28 June 2017
In the shootout, Bravo dived to his right to stop weak penalty kicks by Quaresma and Moutinho, then switched sides to save Nani’s timorous shot.

— the associated press, New York Times, "Chile Beats Portugal to Reach Confederations Cup Final," 28 June 2017
But Philip doubled down on the value of a rough-and-tumble education, arguing that Gordonstoun would be the best place for his timorous son.

— vanityfair.com, VanityFair.com, "The Lonely Heir: Inside the Isolating Boarding School Days of Prince Charles," 28 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'timorous.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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 (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").