as in timid
easily frightened
sensational news stories that seem designed to needlessly alarm an already timorous public
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Recent Examples of timorous
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
See All Example Sentences for timorous
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
See All Example Sentences for timorous
Recent Examples of Synonyms for timorous
timid
Adjective
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Otherwise, they are destined to be remembered as useless and timid wimps as the U.S. was slouching toward a dictatorship.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
24 June 2025
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If the cat remains frightened and timid, talk to your vet about medications that might help.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Timorous.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/timorous. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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