as in cowardly
having or showing a shameful lack of courage
a gutless attack on a writer who is now deceased and unable to defend herself
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in cowardice
a shameful lack of courage in the face of danger
the unconscionable gutlessness shown by the school board when extremists called for banning certain literary classics from the library
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of gutless
Louis Casiano, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2024
Of course, the real blame for all this goes to the gutless lickspittles in the U.S. Senate, who, in an impeachment proceeding just weeks after the insurrection, could have restored the nation’s dignity and voted to bar Trump from ever running again.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
Too bad the judges who make that call won’t be able to send these gutless folks home with them.
—Kyle Whitmire | Kwhitmire@al.com, al, 21 July 2023
When the great test of his life arrived, the warrior-aesthete proved gutless.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for gutless
Adjective
The Defendant’s gutless decisions deprived the family of a proper burial.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 8 Mar. 2024
Of course, the real blame for all this goes to the gutless lickspittles in the U.S. Senate, who, in an impeachment proceeding just weeks after the insurrection, could have restored the nation’s dignity and voted to bar Trump from ever running again.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
Too bad the judges who make that call won’t be able to send these gutless folks home with them.
—Kyle Whitmire | Kwhitmire@al.com, al, 21 July 2023
When the great test of his life arrived, the warrior-aesthete proved gutless.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 26 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for gutless
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gutless
Adjective
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Those who resort to violence to undermine our state and nation must be held accountable, and our state leaders must reinforce through decisive action that these cowardly attacks will not be tolerated.—
Ron Estes,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2025
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The cowardly capitulation of Paul Weiss and Skadden Arps are negative examples to be learned from.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2025
Noun
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There’s something undeniably cathartic about a figure as successful as Rogen, who co-created the series, speaking out about Hollywood’s creative cowardice.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa characterized the flight of Afrikaners from his country as an act of cowardice.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
14 May 2025
Adjective
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The youngest cast member at the time, Williams set the tone for the raw emotion the show was not afraid to show over the years.—
Jen Juneau,
People.com,
24 May 2025
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Moreover, Rocket has a relatively new CEO who wants to dominate the mortgage industry and is not afraid of technology, previously working at Intuit, PayPal, Groupon and Microsoft.—
Kenneth Squire,
CNBC,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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This is because her spineless boyfriend was with her on that bus and plane and sat 2 rows away.—
Moná Thomas,
People.com,
27 May 2025
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Matt and his direct reports quickly reveal themselves to be spineless, self-important, thin-skinned, and out of touch.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
5 May 2025
Noun
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Reid’s statement was striking for its sheer pusillanimity.—
Adam S. Posen,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Dec. 2015
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What a profile in pusillanimity.—
The Editorial Board,
WSJ,
23 May 2022
Adjective
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Though authorities in South Yorkshire and centrally were to blame for the disaster, some of the deceased were still fighting for their lives when those responsible started shifting the focus away from their own failings, buttressed by support from craven sections of the media.—
Simon Hughes,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
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Lead actors Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Anthony Mackie share minimal chemistry, though the episode’s most craven move has to be contriving a loophole giving the romantic opposites an easy out.—
Charles Bramesco,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Some also have lost lawyers, dismayed by the pusillanimous behavior of their leaders.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
28 May 2025
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The second believed the United States could attain comprehensive security through military-technological means and saw diplomacy as a quixotic or pusillanimous enterprise that dishonored and weakened the country.—
A. Wess Mitchell,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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While gold is a popular choice when investors are scared, other alternatives such as infrastructure and real estate offer similar protection.—
Eric Satz,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2025
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Plus, hearing from the new owners, those dogs have also been scared and skittish around humans.—
Liz O'Connell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gutless.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gutless. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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